


Starting Over with Starting Over

by CassiaKiaya



Category: Mighty Morphin Power Rangers
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-02
Updated: 2021-01-19
Packaged: 2021-03-05 01:15:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 35,894
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25036075
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CassiaKiaya/pseuds/CassiaKiaya
Summary: Tommy has a fresh start, which is something he's been doing for most of his life. But this time, it's college over in Massachusetts. A new start, a new life as a former Power Ranger.He had to keep that last part a secret but not that he minded...he just wanted to blend in.
Kudos: 5





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I may have turned a blind eye to certain details as I tried watching as much of Zeo and Turbo as I could...so if I have missed something or changed a detail...it may or may not be intentional. Who doesn't love a good mystery?! Also, I did some research about MIT, but please forgive me if something is way off. 
> 
> I do not own MMPR, but if I did, I would have them bring back the wearable communicators because the Tommy Oliver edition is going for like $350 on Ebay! I don't even need them to make sounds...those are just cool to wear.

What is considered a "normal" life? Not flinch every time a loud bang occurs, thinking a new monster has attacked the city? Tommy is still trying to work out those jitters as he walks through LAX, knowing he is saying goodbye to warm weather and close friends. But again, this isn't anything new to him. He has one backpack, one suitcase, and nothing else. His parents offered him his bedroom furniture, but he declined. He had saved up doing odd jobs here and there and figured he'd be able to afford at least a bed and a desk, which is about all that would fit in a dorm, anyway. 

John and Caroline Oliver said their goodbyes in the main entrance of the airport as they could tell from his farway look that he wanted to go to the gate on his own. Caroline tried hard not to break down, but failed.

"Make sure you call from your dorm phone when you get there. I called it and it rang, so it should be set up," John said.

"Thanks, Dad. I will...Mom, stop, it'll be okay," Tommy said as he looked over at her and gave her a hug.

"I thought I was more worried when you were into all that stock car racing," Caroline said, between wiping her eyes.

"Mom, I'll be fine. I've been on my own before," he replied, knowing he probably shouldn't have said that.

"We're proud of what you've become and what you're going to become," John said, trying not to start anything from that statement.

Tommy hugged his parents and adjusted his backpack.

"Remember to not be a stranger and never be afraid to let us know if you're having any problems," Caroline said.

\----------------------------------------------------------------

Tommy wanted to make sure he was at the correct gate before wandering around the terminal.

'Flight 309 to Boston Logan International Airport - Gate 25,' he read on the Gate's marquee sign.

He looked around, feeling his stomach talk to him. Wanting something light, he went to the deli-type restaurant and bought a vegetarian sandwich and a coffee.

He thought about Katherine and how her flight back home to Australia went.

"Katherine, there's something I need to talk to you about," Tommy said as they sat outside in Angel Grove park.

"Tommy, I know what you're going to say," Kat replied, as she looked down towards her feet.

"Look, I didn't want you to feel like you had to do the same thing to me that Kimberly did," he replied.

Katherine looked up and over to Tommy, whose gentle smile was re-assuring.

"I know. It's just that, I know with me being in another country and you at college, that we would never see each other," Katherine replied and went to hold his hand.

They knew what they had to do was hard, but at least they were both in agreement.

"I'll still keep in touch and you'll always be my friend," Tommy started. "You never know...we could find each other again."

Kat smiled and hugged him as tight as she could. She always appreciated his honesty and positive spin on things.

"Thanks for being so understanding. I never want to hurt you," Kat replied as they both stood up.

"I could never hurt you either. Want me to walk you back to your house?" he asked.

"Sure, I would like that," she answered and reached for his hand to hold as they made their final walk as a couple.

Tommy smiled, thinking about how nice that particular breakup went. He knew there would probably be many more he would have to endure in his lifetime. He still thought about Kimberly and wondered how she was doing. At this point, the Pan Global Games are long over and she was probably still in Paris with her mother and step-father. He could see her being the jet-setter and travelling all around the world.

Tommy, for the first time in his life, actually felt grounded in Angel Grove and had doubts about leaving the town he had saved hundreds of times. The people he had come to love, the friends he made, even those that may have caused him grief from day-to-day made him almost change his mind about going.

But Tommy knew this is what he wanted to do.

"Now beginning to board Flight 309 to Boston, Massachusettes," the voice on the speaker system announced.

"Here we go," Tommy said outloud to himself as he headed back to the gate.

He laughed when he boarded the plane and realized his mom booked him a window seat. His seat neighbors were there, two guys who were in a deep converation between each other. He assumed they somehow knew each other.

"Excuse me, I believe I have the window seat," Tommy said to the two guys.

The guys stopped talking and both quickly stood up and allowed Tommy to take his seat.

"I'm Chris, and this is my brother, Aaron," the guy who was in the middle seat said.

Tommy shook hands with both guys and replied,"I'm Tommy, nice to meet you."

The brothers sat back in their seats and continued on with their previous conversation.

"Look, the White Ranger was the better Ranger. The Green guy was okay, but whenever the White Ranger came out, he kicked so much ass," Chris said.

Tommy turned to the window to try to hide his smile but couldn't hold in a laugh.

"See? Tommy disagrees," Aaron replied. "The White Ranger couldn't hold a candle to the Green Ranger."

The pun hit Tommy right in the stomach but he tried to ignore it as he turned to smile at the two brothers.

"Ok, give us your opinion...which one was better...White or Green?" Chris asked.

Tommy thought about it for a second before he replied.

"Honestly, I think they were both great in different ways. Sure, they each had their flaws, but they both agreed on helping to save the greater good. It's hard to pick when they're both heroes," he answered.

The brothers were left speechless. Chris, the shorter brother with blond hair, turned to his taller brother with brown hair and nudged him on the shoulder.

"We're sitting next to a genius here...let me guess, you're off to MIT too?" Aaron wondered.

Tommy laughed before replying, "Yeah, but don't let the speech fool you."

"Awesome, we can tell Mom that we made a friend on campus so she'll stop breathing down our backs," Chris joked.

Tommy laughed and replied, "Yours too, huh?" 

"Yeah," Aaron started. "We're twins and because of that bond, we've mostly stuck to ourselves. Our mom was so worried that we'd have such a hard time going away but we'll be fine."

"I stuck around my close group of friends, but we've all gone our own ways. I'm on my own, now, I guess you could say," Tommy replied.

The rest of the flight went back and forth between the twins and Tommy. They shared different life experiences, at least the ones that Tommy could share.

"I loved racing, but after a while, the thrill was gone and it felt more like a chore than a hobby."

Once the plane was about to land, the three exchanged dorm room information and planned on meeting up at Tommy's on Saturday afternoon.

"Good luck with the first week, Tommy," Aaron said as they walked past the gate's entrance.

"You two, you guys. It was great flying with you," Tommy replied.

The twins headed off to one of the restaurants in the airport and Tommy headed right over to baggage claim. He was too nervous to eat and wanted to get to the school as soon as he could.

As he stood at the baggage carousel, he felt his thumbs rubbing his fingers, a nervous habit of his. 

Of all the monster attacks on the city and all of the times the enemies tested Tommy's abilities, none could top the amount of nerves going through his system at this moment.

He saw his dark green suitcase appear on the conveyor belt and grabbed it before it took another unnessessary loop.

The school was providing a shuttle bus to the campus every half hour and lucky for Tommy, it was still boarding. He dragged his suitcase onboard and found an empty row of seats towards the back. The drive was the first taste of Boston and Tommy appreciated the history and East Coast style. It differed from the Californian life he was used to for a few years. Once they arrived on campus, a guide helped the group to their respective dorms.

"Ah, Baker House, that's a good one. Of course, I'm biased because I lived there my freshman year," the guide said as Tommy showed him his dorm information.

The building showed history on it's walls, something Tommy could appreciate when reading the welcome kit he recieved when he was accepted.

Third floor, Room 309.

He turned the key he recieved at the dorm lobby desk and slowly walked in. There was no one in the room, however, there were two sets of desks and loft beds. One side looked like it was moved in with a few photos and posters hung up on the surrounding walls. The other side was completely empty, with the exception of an envelope on the desk.

Tommy walked over to the desk, dropping his bookbag by his suitcase and picked up the envelope. It had his name on it.

He opened the envelope and inside was a letter.

"For Our Son,

We knew this day would come but we could never be enough prepared knowing the journey you are about to take. You've turned into the man we knew you could become and will continue to be. We know you wanted to do a lot of this on your own, but you don't have to, let this desk and loft bed help you get settled in a little faster. We're here for you, whenever you need it. Love, Mom and Dad"

Tommy smiled and picked up the telephone that was on a small table by the window. He called his parents to not only say he arrived safely but to also thank them.

As he hung up the phone, their dorm door opened. A young guy walked in and took a quick step back when he realized someone else was in the room.

"Oh hey, you must be my roommate, I'm Xavier," he announced as he walked up to Tommy and slapped his hand and then into a hand shake.

"Hey Xavier, I'm Tommy," he replied.

"Dude, I've always wanted to grow my hair out, but my parents would have thrown me out of the house," Xavier remarked.

Tommy instinctively reached back and adjusted his pony tail, knowing how much of a subject his hair always becomes.

"It's more of a pain in the ass than anything. I go through a ton of conditioner and it knots up all of the time when I'm doing karate," he replied.

"Shit, you're in Karate? I'm impressed. I just play soccer. Better not piss you off," Xavier joked as he went over to his own desk and started going through his bags to unpack.

Tommy laughed as he opened his backpack. He took out all of the photos and placed them on the desk.

"Hey need some tape? I've got some right here," Xavier said as he handed him a tape dispenser.

"Thanks, man," Tommy replied and went through the photos to figure out which ones to put where.

"I hope you don't mind if I ask you questions while we work on getting this place decent," Xavier asked.

"Not at all, I'll do the same," Tommy replied as he put up one pic of the original Rangers and him in street clothes at Angel Grove park.

He didn't notice but Xavier was over his way, leaning in to look at the photos he was putting up.

"You lived somewhere warm, it looks like. I've always been here and although it does get warm in the summer, the winters here are brutal."

"Yeah, my parents and I lived in Angel Grove, California for 7 years. I've lived in places with winters, but I'll have to adjust to them again," Tommy replied.

"How could you live there with all that bullshit going on?" Xavier wondered.

"I don't know, honestly. Something always kept me there, I guess," Tommy answered.

"Well enough about the past, here's to our future," Xavier said as he slapped Tommy on his shoulder.

Tommy laughed as they continued unpacking their clothes and discussing where to put certain things.

Xavier declared his love for horror movies and dance music as Tommy shared his life of friendships, karate, and race cars.

Where they both could relate was breaking up with their girlfriends right before going off to college.

"Jasmine was awesome, but she wanted to go to college overseas," Xavier started.

"You knew it was going to be too hard to be away. Katherine went back with her family in Australia. It was hard, but it was the right thing to do," Tommy replied.

"She was beautiful. I told myself not to bring a pic of her, but I couldn't help myself," Xavier noted as he handed Tommy a photo of them together.

Tommy smiled as he looked at the photo of the indeed beautiful girl with Xavier. He reached into his backpack and found his photo of him with Kat.

"I told myself the same thing," Tommy said as he showed Xavier his ex-girlfriend.

"Like I said, we're on our future now," Xavier announced. "But if you find someone before I do here...make sure they have an equally great friend for me."

Tommy and Xavier laughed and spent the rest of the afternoon getting their room just right.

Once the felt there was no more that could be done that day, they decided to take a tour of their building and find the dining hall. 

"Not bad, not bad. An A for variety...I do appreciate the crouton selection at the salad bar," Xavier commented. 

"I appreciate the smoothie station," Tommy said.

"Yep, you're a honest to God Californian boy," Xavier joked.

"Whatever, East Coast," Tommy replied as they went off to grab their own food choices. 

They found an empty table and talked about their classes for the first semester.

"Any thought on what you want to do for like the next 40 years?" Xavier asked.

"You mean my major? I thought about going into teaching and I've been taking up an interest in paleontology. How about you? What will you be retiring in?" Tommy replied.

"Let me tell you...I've given this a ton of thought and if I want to carve myself a chunk of credibility, I've got to go into computers. It's going to be the way of the future."

"A ton of thought, huh?" Tommy joked.

"Well, we'll see how far you go versus how far I go and then we'll be the judge of that," Xavier replied. 

They headed back up to their dorm room and both decided to lay up in their loft bags after they each changed into some lounging clothes in their shared bathroom with the dorm next to them.

"Hey did you ever get to meet the Power Rangers?" Xavier asked, in the middle of the silence between them.

"Yeah, you could say that," Tommy replied.

"That's so cool. I would have killed to have met them, but my parents said there was no way in hell I would travel across the country and try to get myself murdered. What was it like living there?" 

"It was rough. You always had to be on your toes, wondering when the next attack could happen. I felt like there was never a peaceful moment," Tommy replied, almost feeling meloncholy. "Here, I can just be myself and not worry about the city going to shit."

"True that," Xavier replied. "Although, with as boring as it can be around here sometimes, you may wish for a giant creature to spice things up."

Tommy tossed and turned all night as he was not used to his sleeping arrangements. The dorm was hot, especially in the higher loft bed. He knew it would take time to adjust as he quietly climbed down the bed's ladder. He decided to take advantage of the early morning and head to the lounge room, where he could practice his karate.

He walked into the nice spacious lounge room, where there was a big rubber flooring square in the corner, surrounded by big picture windows. Luckily, the lounge was empty, so he could practice without disturbing anyone. He bowed, to no one in particular and began practicing several jumps and kicks he had been perfecting. It wasn't until he stopped a heavy set of jumps that a voice startled him.


	2. A Not-So Familiar Face

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tommy's adjusting to the first few days on campus and hopes that the friends he's making will help him adjust to "normal" life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was thinking about my own college experience and I laugh about how I met my close friend/soon-to-be roommate for the rest of my college years...she was kicked out of her dorm room by her roommate and was honestly just sitting out in the hallway. I was super nervous to go out there and say anything as I had and still have horrible social anxiety. But something in my gut told me to go out there and say "hi." 
> 
> It's cool how we meet people and how some even become great friends. Without meeting her, who knows how my college story would have been written.

"That's impressive," a woman's voice said from behind him.

Tommy quickly turned around as sweat was forming on his face.

"Oh, thanks...I didn't realize there was someone in here. I can go outside and finish," he said.

He looked at his interuptor and felt an immediate warmth in his cheeks. A young woman, wearing a light pink t-shirt and green and pink plaid pajama shorts was standing there. 

"You're not bothering me. Please continue and I'll just stand here in awe because I can barely do a cartwheel," she said.

Tommy was immediately drawn to her long, brown hair and big smile.

"You sure? I tend to make a lot of noise," he asked.

"Absolutely," she said as she sat down on a couch near the matted area.

"Ok, I warned you," he replied and went right back to his moves.

Although this time, he was pushing himself a little bit harder. When he finished his next set, the woman clapped.

"This is much more interesting to watch than campus tv," she announced.

Tommy went to the small kitchenette in the other corner and grabbed a paper towel to wipe the sweat off his face and head.

"Thanks, I've been doing karate since I was four. It's pretty much engrained in me," he replied as he walked back to the mat.

"Could you teach me something easy. Easy as in not break my face, easy?" she asked.

Tommy went right into teaching mode, which was like breathing for him, considering what effect she was having on him.

"Sure, I can teach you a simple kick that only looks complicated," he replied.

She got up from the couch and put her hand out first.

"Kimber, but please call me Kim," she said.

Tommy blinked and felt on fire at this point.

"Thomas, but please call me Tommy," he replied.

"Are you mocking me, Thomas?" she asked, her eyes boring into his. 

"No...no...that's not at all what I was trying to do...I was just..."

"Calm down, Tommy. I'm just pulling your leg. Show me this big move," Kim replied.

"Yes...Kim..."

Saying that name was bringing Tommy the pain in his stomach he had pushed away for the past year or so. Kat's breakup was hard but not as hard as Kimberly's. It was unexpected and that's what hurt the most.

"Okay, so what do I do," Kim asked.

Tommy, out of respect, used his hands wisely to show her how exactly to move her hips and lean through to guide her kick a certain way. Her laugh was infectious as she tried for the fourth time and fell. Tommy helped her up and smiled.

"Don't worry, it took me several times to get it right too," Tommy declared.

"What, when you were 5?" Kim joked and playfully punched him in the arm.

"I was 6, but who's keeping track," Tommy replied.

Kim was determined to get this kick down as she stood up straight and got into the first position.

"Here," Tommy started and carefully placed his hands on her hips. He held them in a gentle way as she tried the kick again.

This time, she was able to hit it perfectly.

"Awesome, see...you've got this!" Tommy exclaimed.

"My first step to kicking all those stupid guys' asses at the club that try to sloth all over me," Kim replied.

Tommy realized he was still holding her around the hips and quickly released his hold. Kim turned around and smiled.

"Thank you, Tommy. I take it you live in this dorm too...otherwise, you like early morning creeping in other dorms?" Kim asked.

Tommy laughed as he adjusted his pony tail. "Yeah, early dorm creeping is kind of a hobby of mine."

"Show me," she stated.

"Show you?" Tommy wondered, looking completely confused.

"Your hair. Let me see how long it is," she stated.

Tommy normally would have sighed and groveled about people making a big deal of it, but he gladly pulled the hair tie off and shook his head slightly to loosen it.

Kim went behind him and he could feel her run her fingers through from near the top of his head to almost the bottom of his hair. 

"You caught this mane on a good day, where I actually took the time to smooth it out. Usually, it's a humidity nightmare," he stated.

"Is there anything that isn't impressive about you?" she asked.

"Yeah, my grades," Tommy replied as she walked back around to face him.

Kim smiled. "I gotta go grab something to eat and take my meds, care to join me?"

"Sure," Tommy replied, curious about what she meant by meds, but wasn't going to ask.

They walked over to the dining hall, with Tommy deciding to leave his hair down. They then headed over to the buffet style carts and they each grabbed a plate.

"I'm starving after kicking all that ass," Kim joked as she grabbed a couple of muffins, an apple, and a couple of slices of bacon.

Tommy grabbed a muffin as well but was really craving a smoothie.

"Karate is a great way to burn calories. I'm going to grab a smoothie, would you like one?" he offered.

Kim laughed but shook her head no.

"What's so funny?" he asked.

"You must be from the West Coast," she joked.

"My roommate said the same thing. I must make it really obvious," Tommy replied.

"I can't really talk, I lived in Arizona for 3 years and Texas for 2 years when my dad would get redeployed," Kim said.

"Yeah, I moved around a lot too in foster care," Tommy replied.

"Ah, so we both have tragical nomadic tales of growing up," she said as she waited for him to get his smoothie and find a table.

"Guess so..." Tommy said and sat down at their chosen spot. 

"There you are...I was looking all over for you!" Xavier yelled from a few tables away.

Tommy looked in complete surprise as Xavier rushed over to the table and quickly sat down.

"I'm kidding, what's going on," Xavier exclaimed as he reached over and hit Tommy on the arm.

"I take it that's your roommate," Kim said.

"Indeed, I am. Xavier Davis, and you are?" he introduced and shook her hand.

"Kim, Kim Mercer," she responded.

Xavier gasped really loud and placed his hand over his mouth. 

"I am a terrible roommate!" he exclaimed.

"What? Why?" Tommy asked, looking over at Kim with the same puzzled look.

"I don't even know your last name, roommate!" Xavier replied.

"That's ok, I didn't even know yours until just now. Last name's Oliver," Tommy said.

"Phew, glad we got that out of the way. Kim Mercer, are you a friend that Tommy Oliver neglected to tell me about that is here too?"

Kim laughed, which rang wonderfully in Tommy's ears.

"No negligence here, we just met. He was showing me his karate...he's seriously awesome at it," Kim explained.

"Tommy is now the horrible roommate because he has not shown me yet," Xavier joked.

Tommy gave a fake gasp as if he was truly offended and then laughed.

The three ate their breakfast with a few rounds of questioning and general curiosity to get to know each other better. Tommy was trying to remember what Kim would say like her favorite color (green, good), favorite food (Italian, like that), and her favorite music (any pop music, not terrible). He wasn't sure if he was just imaging it but he noticed Kim was looking more towards his way than Xavier's. 

"Now comes the fun part," Kim said as she reached into her pocket and pulled out a small pill bottle. "I have to take these every morning because I have anxiety. Please don't say 'I'm sorry.'"

Tommy did as she said but placed his arm around her shoulders, hugging her slightly.

"Ok now that we got the morning depression out of the way, what shall we do today?" Kim asked.

Tommy shrugged and Xavier placed his arms up in an "I don't know" sort of way.

"Good, then it's settled...campus tour," Kim announced.

The guys agreed and they finished up whatever food was left, cleaned up, and went to their respective rooms to get dressed for the day.

Tommy did something he hadn't done in a long time: he put on a navy t-shirt and black shorts. Xavier decided on khaki shorts and an orange tank top. Kim told them to meet at her dorm, which was two floors above as it would give her more time to get ready.

"I have a feeling she still won't be ready," Xavier said as they headed up the stairwell.

"For once, I'm glad I'm the one waiting. I'm usually the one who is running late or forgets something," Tommy replied as they reached the fifth floor.

"What room number did she say?" Tommy asked.

"You're not joking, are you? You really do forget a lot, eh?" Xavier joked.

They approached room 504 and Xavier knocked on the door.

"Come in!" someone yelled from inside.

Tommy slowly opened the door and walked in first.

The room had a more feminine touch with two desks on one side and a bunk bed on the other. Tommy remembered Kim's favorite color is green and could see splashes of it on one desk and the comforter of the lower bunk bed.

"Just a few more seconds ok? The bathroom was tied up for a bit when I got up here," Kim said as she appeared from the room she was talking about.

"Where's your roommate?" Xavier asked.

"Getting some breakfast. She and I aren't close already like you guys already," she replied.

Tommy couldn't help himself as he walked up to her desk and looked at the photos she had placed on the wall above. One in particular caught his eye and his heart almost stopped.

There was Kim and an older man, who looked like he could be Kim's father. They are sitting in a television studio audience and in the background was...himself and the other Power Rangers...when they were on the talk show promoting education.

"Are you spying on me, Thomas?" Kim yelled from the bathroom.

Tommy jumped and looked over at the bathroom...there in the mirror was Kim's reflection staring right at him.

"No, I uh...was just looking around," he stammered.

Kim laughed as she walked into the dorm room.

"I went to look decent and you look pale and almost dead. You okay, Tommy? I said I was just joking, you know," Kim said, and she placed her arm around him.

"He's not used to being in a hot girl's room, that's all," Xavier joked.

"Yeah, that's it," Tommy said, sarcastically.

"You're looking at the pic of when my Dad and I were able to see the Power Rangers on TV," she said as she walked over to the picture and continued," My Dad surprised me because he knew much I wanted to see them in person and this probably was my only chance. I was bummed though because I really wanted to meet the Green Ranger."

"Hey, I remember that show! Dude, that was awesome," Xavier said.

Tommy couldn't find any words to say. His face continued to be drained of any color as his anxiety built up inside. 

"You okay, man? You're not looking so good. Maybe those smoothies aren't so good after all," Xavier joked.

Tommy's legs felt heavy and felt something hit the back of them...a chair.

"Here, sit. You're gonna pass out on us and I don't want you cracking your head and bleeding all over my shag rug," Kim said as she pushed the chair over his way.

"Thanks, I'm not feeling so hot. I'm not sure what's going on with me," Tommy said.

That was a lie.

Tommy knew exactly why he felt this way. How could he keep pretending that he's a bystander and not a participant? Maybe they could handle the news, maybe he would lose them as friends, who knows how they would take it. 

"Want some water?" Kim asked as she knelt down next to him.

"No, thanks. I should be ok. Maybe it's nerves," he replied and smiled at her. 

Kim couldn't help but stare into his eyes for longer than she would normally.

"Ahem," Xavier announced.

The two looked over at Xavier, who was standing there looking very impatient.

"I should be ok now, thanks for your help," Tommy said and stood up.

The three walked out of the room without anyone saying a word.

The campus was beautiful in it's history and greenery. The three helped each other find certain buildings that had the majority of their classes. They also found the library, the computer lab, and the little cafes and lounge areas for the students to hang out at.

"I really like it here," Tommy announced as they began their walk back to their dorm.

"Same here," Xavier replied.

"We'll see how we feel after some courses," Kim joked.

The guys walked Kim back up to her dorm before going back to theirs.

"You both really didn't have to do that. Remember, Tommy taught me one move and I should be pretty good in self defense because of it," Kim said as she opened her door.

"I'll probably be up early just about every morning, if you want to learn some more," Tommy replied.

"Oh so you're teaching her all your moves and I don't get shit," Xavier said.

Tommy rolled his eyes as Kim laughed.

"Later," Xavier said to Kim.

"Bye Xavier, bye Tommy," she said.

The guys waved as she shut the door.

"She's got a thing for you," Xavier said as they walked back down the stairwell.

"You think?" Tommy asked.

"I don't think, I know. It's more obvious than rain in a storm," Xavier replied.

"I don't know if I am ready to jump back in to something just yet," Tommy said.

As they reached their dorm, Tommy patted his pockets, but couldn't find his dorm key.

"You wouldn't happen to have your key on you, would you?" he asked.

Xavier laughed so hard, he nearly started coughing.

"That's amazing, man...just amazing!" Xavier exclaimed, after having reached into his pocket and finding his own key.

"This semester is going to be a challenge for you," Xavier said as they walked in. "And I'm not talking about grades."

Xavier went up to his loft bed to relax. Tommy went to his suitcase, which was stashed by the desk. He cautiously took out a small photo album, which was hidden in one of the pockets. He quickly thumbed through a few of the photos of him and the other Power Rangers, dressed in their gear, missing helmets. Some pics of when he was Zeo Ranger V and a few from his turbo power days. Because everything was said and done, it wasn't the worst thing in the world if a civilian knew who he used to be. If anyone were to come after him, they would already know of his past. So what if they knew? Would they resent him? Would they treat him differently, like he was some rock star?

Tommy didn't want to be a rock star. He wanted to be normal. 

"You're hiding pictures of your secret life you're neglecting to tell me about?" Xavier's voice came from behind.

Tommy quickly closed the album and panicked. "No, it's uhhh, for another time..."

"What's got you so jumpy, Oliver? You're having me think you're like some secret FBI agent disguised as a college student to find the drug ring or something," Xavier said.

Tommy hid the album back in the suitcase and shoved it under his desk.

"Ha ha, you wish," Tommy joked, realizing his secret wasn't given away. "I'm sorry, I guess I'm not handling the stress of all of this as well as I would have liked."

"It's okay, Tommy. We're all in the same boat. We'll get through this and we'll have the scars to prove it," Xavier replied.

The guys spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing. It was in the evening when they heard a knock on their door.

"Entre," Xavier yelled.

Kim walked in, followed by another girl that Tommy didn't recognize.

"Hey guys, I wanted you to meet my roommate, Amanda," Kim announced.

Tommy and Xavier practically lept down from their respective beds to shake hands with the tall blond next to the shorter brunette they already knew.

"This is Tommy, and this is..." Kim started.

"Xavier, at your service. Such a pleasure to meet you," Xavier cheesed.

Tommy couldn't help but laugh as he watched Kim roll her eyes at the "chivalry" being displayed before them.

"Amanda and I were going to get some dinner, if you want to join us," Kim stated.

"Absolutely!" Xavier replied without giving it a second thought. 

The four went down to the dining hall and went straight to the beginning of the food service.

Kim went first as Tommy followed behind her. He looked behind to see Xavier trying to strike up conversation with Amanda.

"I knew that was going to happen," Kim said as she turned back to Tommy.

"Knew what was going to happen?" Tommy asked.

"That. Him hitting on the tall, blonde roommate," Kim replied.

Tommy chuckled as he grabbed some grilled chicken and steamed vegetables. The two found a table by a window and got situated.

"I've got to admit it, Tommy. You're going nowhere near the freshman 15 weight gain with your healthy choices," Kim joked.

"I can't help it. I've battled with a junk food monster from the inside," Tommy replied, hoping she wouldn't pick up on the double entendre.

"I'm sorry, sometimes my mouth gets me into trouble. I hope I didn't hurt your feelings," Kim said, looking down at her food.

"Oh no, not at all, Kim. I've been through much worse," Tommy replied.

"Now I really feel bad," Kim said, pushing her food tray away from her.

"Kim, please don't," he said and placed his arm around her shoulder. He found her leaning into his chest, as if never wanting to leave. He felt himself instinctlively pull her in a little tighter, almost as if in a loving grip.

"You two move quickly, don't you?" Xavier joked as he dropped his tray on the table. 

Kim, startled, sat up straight and Tommy released his arm from around her.

"Amanda was just telling me about the Midwest and how they put an "s" on the end of every establishment at all times," Xavier said as he sat down.

Tommy caught his breath and looked over at Kim, who was blushing and looking slightly away. He looked back before she noticed.

"Yes, we don't just go to Meijer, we go to Meijers and Krogers," Amanda said.

Tommy was only half listening. He tried to eat but found it difficult. It was Kim he was thinking about.

"Hey, let's go to the lounge and let these two lovebirds keep up their lovefest," Xavier said after a while.

Tommy rolled his eyes and Kim threw a piece of broccoli at Xavier. Amanda and Xavier then left the dining room.

"It's stuffy in here, how about we go outside and you can teach me another move of yours," Kim spurted out of nowhere.

Tommy nodded in agreement as they took care of their trays and went out into the courtyard.

"I can show you a couple of hits that could disable any opponet, plus they look pretty cool," Tommy said as walked to a quiet area.

"Tommy, I'm sorry," Kim said.

"Sorry for what?" Tommy replied, confused.

"I know this is going to sound really crazy as we barely know each other, but, I really like you, Tommy." Kim announced, her hands slightly fidgetting as she looked right at him.

Tommy found himself moving his thumbs on his fingers.

"I like you too," Tommy started.

"But..." Kim replied, and started looking away.

"I'm sorry. I just got out of a relationship and I'm not sure if I'm ready to jump right back into one," Tommy replied.

"I knew you would say that. Someone like you is always in a relationship and I'm always on the outside, grasping at straws," Kim said, and started to walk away.

"Kim, wait," Tommy said, reaching for her hand.

Kim stopped, but wouldn't turn around. She placed one of her hands up on her face, covering her eyes.

Tommy knew she was crying at this point and felt awful. He walked around to face her and pulled her in for a hug. Her arms slowly came around him and she buried her head in his chest.

"How about we take it slow..." Tommy whispered into her ear.

Kim nodded her head and squeezed him a little tighter. Tommy looked up to the sky and hoped he wasn't making a big mistake.

"So what's this move you wanted to show me?" Kim said as she finished wiping her eyes.

"It's a little more complicated, but I think you can handle it. Plus, it'll be impossible for you to fall," Tommy said, trying to lighten the mood.

The two worked for a while learning Tommy's new move.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did anyone catch a certain last name in there? I promise they are not related! Although, that would be kinda cool in a way. Who knows...I may change all of that later. 
> 
> Thank you all for reading and thank you for the kudos! I send love your way!


	3. Can We Chat?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tommy's first week in college is just about done. He's looking forward to a get together with his new friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I added this chapter without adding my notes or summary...not that it makes a huge difference but it made me laugh. Stupid things like that right now are funny to me.

The first week of getting adjusted to campus life was appreciated by Tommy as Saturday came along. A couple of classes started on Thursday and Friday, one of his history classes and a math class. Those weren't too bad, but he had to get used to being in a big lecture hall with around 30-50 other students. 

Since he didn't have to spend his savings on a desk and loft bed, he treated himself to his first computer, which he found at a tech store about a half of a mile off campus on Thursday. Xavier helped him set it up since he knew he wasn't the most comfortable with it. 

"You gotta get on AOL Instant Messenger too. You can chat with anyone on it," Xavier said, as he showed him the program. "What do you want your username to be?"

"Damn, put me on the spot. Let me think for a second," Tommy answered. "See if 'karatedragon' is available."

"No but if you put an underscore between the two, it'll work," Xavier said after typing it in. "Here, sit down and think of a password."

Tommy sat down and typed in a combination of words that he hopefully could remember, but to be safe, he wrote it down in one of his notebooks.

"Anytime someone comes online, a knocking sound will go off and you'll see their name there," Xavier explained.

"Thanks for bringing me into the future," Tommy said.

He didn't forget his promise to call his new airplane college friends, Aaron and Chris. Maybe he would even drag his roommate, Xavier, along too.

Aaron picked up the phone and was excited that Tommy remembered to call them. They immediately invited him to their dorm, which was across campus.

"Bring friends," Aaron commanded. 

They went over the details and Tommy hung up the phone, excited for the evening.

Xavier walked into their dorm and set down his bookbag.

"Man, why did I decide to take a biology course this early in my fine college career?" he sighed.

"I've got something to possibly cheer you up. We're invited to a dorm party, whatever you want to call it, tonight," Tommy declared, as he was going through his shirts on his side of the closet.

"Nice, look at you, Mr. Connections," Xavier joked.

"Yeah right," Tommy quipped. "They're a couple of brothers I met on the flight from California, here."

"Making friends on planes...is there anything you can't do?" Xavier replied.

"Apparently, I can't iron," Tommy replied while looking through his wardrobe.

"Throw what you want in the dryer downstairs for a few minutes and it will be ready to go...oh here, add this with it," Xavier said and threw Tommy a shirt.

Tommy took out a green henley and Xavier's polo shirt and headed down to the basement floor, where the laundry room was.

He walked into the laundry room and noticed one other person in there...Kim.

Kim turned around when she heard his footsteps.

"Hey Tommy, how were your first classes?" she asked.

"They're alright, how about yours?" he replied.

"Good, actually. I was kinda surprised. Are you seriously washing just two shirts?" she wondered.

Tommy looked down at the two shirts in his hand and laughed. He replied, "No, I'm not that flighty. I was just going to throw them in a dryer for a bit to get the wrinkles out."

"Oh here, add them to my load. There's about 10 minutes left and I've got dryer sheets that help smooth wrinkles," she said and opened her dryer door.

"Awesome, thanks," he said and threw the two shirts in there.

"I like that green henley," she said as the clothes started tumbling again.

"Thanks, that's mine and the other one is Xavier's," Tommy replied.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say that you two are headed out somewhere tonight," she said, matter-of-factly.

Tommy grinned at how aware she always was with everything going on around her.

"Yeah, a couple of brothers I met on the flight from home to here invited us to their dorm for a little get together thing. You wanna join us? Amanda can go too." he asked.

Kim watched the spinning clothes for a second before she responded.

"Sure, I have nothing better to do and I'm sure Amanda wants to go out" she replied.

"Great, we'll leave here around 8, we can stop up at yours first," he said as he was having a hard time hiding his excitement.

"You're a really positive person sometimes, aren't you?" Kim asked, jokingly.

Tommy hung his head down in pretend shame and laughed.

"It's infectious. I like it," she replied with a smile.

"I'm not always though. I do have my moments," he said.

"We all do. Some more than others," Kim replied.

They both stared at the spinning clothes and neither could find any words to fill the air with until Tommy spoke up.

"I wasn't very positive about coming here to college but that's all kinda changed now."

Kim looked at Tommy and asked, "what changed it?"

"My new friends, especially you," Tommy replied.

Kim smiled as the buzzer went off on the dryer and the clothes stopped spinning. She opened the door and a few things came tumbling out on the floor.

"Don't be a gentleman!" she yelled as she reached down to grab whatever fell, seeing that Tommy was about to bend down to help. "I don't need you picking up my underwear or anything else embarrassing."

Tommy backed away quickly and stood against the other row of machines behind him. Kim piled all of the clothes into her laundry basket, with the exception of the two that Tommy brought. She fluffed and smoothed out both shirts, but Tommy's a little more.

"Here, all better," she said, as she handed him the shirts.

"Thank you so much, saves me some quarters," he replied, taking them from her. "We'll see you later."

"Bye Tommy, see you later," Kim replied as she watched him leave.

Xavier examined the shirt Tommy handed him and grinned. "Perfect, thanks."

"Guess who's joining us? Kim and Amanda, probably," Tommy declared.

"Sweet, the more the merrier," Xavier replied.

The guys took turns in the shared dorm bathroom to clean up and get ready. Tommy's nerves were making him doubt what he should do with his hair.

Xavier noticed Tommy struggling to decide to put it up in a pony tail or keep it down as he heard him muttering under his breath "I should just cut it off."

"Keep it down. The ladies will be all over you," Xavier boasted from their main room.

"That's not what I'm looking for, you know," Tommy replied as he took out his hair dryer and hair brush.

He went through his bag of stuff, looking for the straightening hair creme that he normally uses.

"Don't tell me I forgot it at home..." he muttered.

"Here, use this," Xavier said as he walked into the shared bathroom and handed Tommy a bottle of gel. "Just use a little bit, otherwise you'll look like your hair is made out of plastic."

"Thanks. You're a great roommate," Tommy replied as he started applying some to his hair and using his hair dryer to start straightening it out.

"I know. Don't need to tell me," Xavier said and grinned.

A few minutes later, Tommy walked out of the bathroom, fixing his shirt.

"Yep, you'll be surrounded by females galore," Xavier joked.

Tommy ignored him, grabbed his wallet, and made sure his room key was in his pocket.

"Let's go upstairs and see if the girls are ready," he announced.

The two went up the stairwell to Kim and Amanda's room and knocked. They waited for a couple of minutes before Amanda opened the door.

"Good evening, boys," she said as they walked in.

Kim was sitting at her desk, holding a mirror up to her eyes and finishing putting on some mascara. She set the mirror down and looked over at two who entered their domain. She got up quickly, ran behind Tommy and ran her fingers through his hair. "Oh my God, it's so fucking soft!"

"This is normal," Tommy said as Xavier looked confused.

"Ready to go?" Kim asked.

The four agreed and headed off to the other side of campus. It was on the slightly darker side of dusk outside as Xavier knew exactly which dorm the twins lived at.

"Here we are," he said.

They walked in the lobby, which was laid out a little differently than theirs. Chris and Aaron were waiting for them, so they could check them in as guests. They walked up to Tommy and gave him their own hand slaps.

"You listened and brought friends. Welcome to our sanctuary, Ladies and Gentlemen," Aaron said.

They all introduced themselves and the twins led them upstairs to the top floor, which was the 7th. 

"Good thing I'm not afraid of heights," Kim joked.

"I am," Amanda replied.

Xavier grabbed Amanda's hand and squeezed it tightly before saying, "Don't worry, I'll protect you."

Amanda pulled her hand back and scoffed. Tommy and Kim just looked at each other and rolled their eyes.

"My room is here," Chris started by pointing to one room. 

"And mine is here," Aaron finished, pointing across the hallway.

"You guys didn't want to room together?" Tommy asked.

"Ha ha, we've been roommates for 18 years...it's time for a change," Aaron replied. 

"We're hanging out in mine tonight. His roommate isn't feeling good and mine is visiting his girlfriend across town," Chris said.

The group walked into Chris' dorm room. The rooms were a little bigger than the ones the four have, probably due to the fact that they had a community bathroom, instead of a shared one between rooms.

"Sit anywhere, guys and gals," Chris announced.

Tommy and Xavier waited until the girls found a spot to sit. Xavier saw Amanda sat on the one couch in there and decided to sit next to her. Kim sat on one of the beds and Tommy found himself compelled to sit right next to her. It didn't help that she patted the spot next to her when he looked at her.

"Our refreshments tonight are..." Chris started as he opened the mini-fridge. "Well, they're tap water and a half bottle of apple juice."

"Oh but dear brother, one of us planned for a night such as this," Aaron said as he pulled a bottle of vodka out from behind his back.

"Aaron, how in the hell did you get that?" Chris asked.

"It's simple when you become fast friends with a professor's assistant during your first week," he replied.

"Aaron's always been the problem child," Chris replied but went to look for shot glasses in his desk drawer.

Tommy looked at Kim, who looked chill about it all. Inside, he wasn't quite sure about what to do. Sure, he's had a drink or two but never with a bunch of people he's barely known for a week. Kim looked content, maybe he should be too.

Chris poured 6 shots and handed one to everyone, holding his out.

"To college, to new friends," Chris said and started to drink his shot.

The others started to do theirs as well.

"To the Green Ranger, the far superior Ranger," Aaron interjected.

This caused Tommy to almost choke on his shot. He felt Kim lightly smack his back as he was trying to keep his shot down.

"We have a newborn here!" Xavier joked.

"Funny," Tommy said as he finished his shot finally.

"Amen to the Green Ranger," Kim said, a blush in her cheeks appearing.

"Only because she has a huge crush on him," Amanda admitted.

"Shut the fuck up, Amanda!" Kim yelled, hiding her head with her hands.

"Who wouldn't?" Aaron replied.

Tommy felt extremely uncomfortable and shifted in his sitting position. Kim had moved her hand from his back to his thigh, closer to his knee, which made things worse.

"You okay?" Kim asked as she looked at him.

"I'm fine," he replied and held out his shot glass. "I'll have another."

Chris gladly poured Tommy another shot and started filling the other ones as well.

"I knew you'd be a keeper," Aaron joked as he rose his shot up towards Tommy.

Tommy laughed before downing the second one. It burned but for some reason, it burned away the anxiety about his past and quickly forgot about it. He was now just Tommy, college student, hanging out with a group of friends and relaxing in his new life. He figured it was just the alcohol, but it was kinda nice to forget for a while in the time being.

When the third shot was poured, the group was throwing out ideas of games to play. It was either Amanda or Xavier that suggested 'Truth or Dare' and most everyone agreed. Tommy couldn't remember if he objected or not but he was game for it.

"I go first," Amanda declared. "Xavier, Truth or Dare?"

Xavier took his shot and blurted out "truth!"

"Okay, who do you have a crush on?" she asked.

"That's a simple one, it's you," he replied.

"Well that's stupid, you knew he would say that," Kim said.

"Whatever, it's my turn now. Kim, Truth or Dare?" Xavier said.

"Dare," she replied.

An echo of "oohs" went around the room. Xavier rubbed his hands together as if he was formulating an evil plan.

"Kiss him," was all Xavier said.

She stared at him and felt herself blush even more. Tommy was too drunk to even recognize what was going on.

"It's a dare, you have to, although I have no idea who we're talking about," Chris said.

Kim took a deep breath and grabbed Tommy's shirt collar, pulling his face close to hers. His eyes opened wide like a deer caught in the headlights as she kissed him on the lips. The alcohol had it's own effect as he placed his hand on the side of her face and kissed back.

There were muffled sounds which kinda sounded like cheers, but Tommy couldn't quite hear it as his ears rang. Her lips tasted like watermelon and vodka.

"Ok, the dare is over...separate!" Xavier yelled.

Tommy and Kim broke apart, both catching their breath.

"Kim, you're turn to pick someone," Aaron said.

"Tommy, truth or dare?" she said to a chorus of boos.

Tommy, still coming down from that emotional high, looked at Kim. He thought about it for a second and replied, "dare."

"Kiss me again," Kim replied.

Tommy ignored the jeers coming from the group as he wrapped his arms around her and his lips found hers.

'So much for taking it slow, Oliver,' he thought as couldn't help himself and continued kissing. He shivered as she ran her fingers through his hair.

"I'd say 'get a room' but I don't want to think about that," Xavier joked.

Tommy and Kim broke away and both felt extremely embarrassed. 

"Tommy, it's your turn but you can't pick Kim," Amanda said.

"You guys are no fun," he replied. "Hmmm, Chris, Truth or Dare?"

"Truth because I don't want to make out with you," Chris joked.

"What is your biggest fear that's the most embarrassing?" Tommy asked.

Chris thought about it for a second before Aaron interjected with "dolls!"

"Damn it, Aaron! Yes, I hate dolls. They're creepy as hell. Our Aunt collects them and I can't step foot in the room she has them all in...they're eerie and their eyes follow me!" Chris replied.

Tommy was feeling rather woozy at this point and couldn't read the time on his watch. He kept pulling it close to his eyes and far apart to try to read it. Kim grabbed his wrist and brought the watch up to her eyes.

"It says "12:24," was all she said and dropped his wrist.

"I wanna go back to the dorm. I'm not feeling good," Kim said.

"I'll go with you. Make sure you get back okay," Tommy replied. "You two can stay if you want," he continued, pointing to Amanda and Xavier.

"I'm not ready to go yet and I'm sure Xavier isn't either, we'll stay," Amanda replied as Xavier nodded in agreement.

Tommy stood up and shook Aaron and Chris' hand.

"Thanks for having us over. We should do this more," Kim said as she got up off the bed, slightly unstable.

"Just try to look normal on your way out. We don't want the lobby dude to report us," Aaron said as Tommy and Kim were in the hallway.

They both nodded and tried their best to look as sober as possible until they were well down the sidewalk outside of Chris and Aaron's dorm. It was then that Kim almost tripped on her own feet with Tommy trying to help with her balance.

"Careful, I've got you," Tommy said.

Kim staggered again and ended up on the grass, pulling Tommy on top of her. She was laughing hysterically and Tommy couldn't help but laugh along with her as he rolled off and onto the grass next to her. Her expression changed, however, as she went to cover her eyes with her hand. Tommy could hear her crying.

"What is it? What's wrong?" he asked, concerned he accidentally hurt her when they fell.

"I shouldn't have done that. I shouldn't have kissed you," she replied.

Tommy didn't know how to respond as his mind was all over the place. All he could do was grab her hand and hold it as they laid there.

"Are you mad at me?" she asked.

"No. I'm the opposite," he replied.

She wiped her eyes and ended up climbing on top of Tommy, her face close to his. He smiled as she placed her lips on his. Her lips still tasted like watermelon and vodka. Tommy kept his hands on her waist and almost wanted them to roam but he had to control himself. Once they stopped to catch their breaths, Kim suggested they continue going back to the dorm in case campus police was out and about.

They held hands as they reached their dorm building and remembered the importance of looking sober when they reached the lobby. They carefully went up the stairwell, as they were both unsteady. They reached her floor and dorm door.

"Wanna come in?" she asked.

Tommy knew what couldn't happen, at least not in this state. 

"I shouldn't," he replied.

"I know. You're my gentleman," she replied and gave him a small kiss.

Tommy hugged Kim and watched as she opened her dorm room door. She walked over to her desk and grabbed a pen and piece of paper. She wrote her IM username on it and handed it to him as he stood in the doorway.

"Here, whenever you're online and want to chat," she said.

Tommy looked at the paper and saw the name "watermelonkisses79" on it. 

"I will," he replied, bending down to give her one more kiss.

Kim smiled after and slowly closed the door. Tommy walked back down to his room, glad he remembered his key. He walked in and sat down at his desk, staring blankly at his computer. Curious, he turned it on and connected to AIM. He typed in her username and clicked to add, wondering if she would be on to accept it. If not, he'd just go pass out on his bed.

A couple of seconds later, a knocking sound went off and her username showed that it was added to his friend list. Another second later, a separate chat window popped up from 'watermelonkisses79.'

**watermelonkisses79:** i had a feeling you would be on  
**karate_dragon:** someone gave me your im  
**watermelonkisses79:** oh yeah? was she pretty at least?  
**karate_dragon:** she was, i mean still is, you know what i mean  
**watermelonkisses79:** lol i know what you mean, you're silly  
**karate_dragon:** thanks you ok?  
**watermelonkisses79:** yeah why?  
**karate_dragon:** i felt bad for you earlier  
**watermelonkisses79:** i'm ok  
**watermelonkisses79:** i don't want to push you away  
**watermelonkisses79:** i know you wanted to take things slowly  
**watermelonkisses79:** did you pass out? tommy?  
**karate_dragon:** i'm here the keybord is vlurry  
**watermelonkisses79:** lol you should go to bed  
**karate_dragon:** i should  
**karate_dragon:** you're not pushing me away  
**karate_dragon:** i like you  
**watermelonkisses79:** i like you too  
**watermelonkisses79:** good night, tommy  
**karate_dragon:** good night, kim

Tommy signed off and shut down his computer. He crawled slowly up to his loft bed and face planted right in the pillow. He didn't budge when Xavier returned rather loudly around 2am.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had flashbacks of all my times and chats on IM when writing this chapter. My IM name on there was 'swimming_the_timberlake.' Can you guess what group I was a fan of back then? (Still am...lol)


	4. Nothing Like a Good Cup of Uncertainty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tommy has an appointment with a college counselor to finalize his degree path. His counselor thinks another path may be more fulfilling. He also meets someone who's made a rather concerning impression on him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've tried to read as many of the PR newer comics as I can because I love and appreciate the character development and mature storylines. The show could only tell so much in 19-22 minutes and with their rating restrictions. Could you imagine if these episodes were a hour long and rated for teens and up? 
> 
> I forget (story of my life!) which series and issue but there is an awesome page of Kim and Tommy at the Great Wall of China and how Tommy talked about how he felt so free being on his own. Kim asks him how long was he on his own and he just replied "awhile." A couple of panels speaks volumes and I LOVE THAT.
> 
> Anyway, enjoy this shorter but informative chapter!

The first full week of classes was somewhat eye opening to Tommy. He was amazed at the less structured class setup, but not that he needed it, necessarily. And he was rather impressed with himself that he wasn't late to any of his classes and he didn't forget anything.

College mornings started Tommy off on the right foot, for the most part. The only 8am classes he had was Geography 102 and Biology 101 and those were on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The rest of his classes didn't start until at least 10am. He made it a point to wake up early most days because sleeping in had disasterous outcomes of being extremely late or more forgetful than normal.

Plus, his mornings usually entailed seeing Kim either in the lounge or the cafeteria before going off to her classes.

"Nervous?" she asked as she sat down on the lounge's couch, holding a cup of coffee.

Tommy finished some moves and bowed towards Kim, who smiled.

"A little, but I think I'll be fine once I get into a routine. You?" he asked.

"Very. I'm already worried about what specific degree program I want to go into. I can't believe we need that decided by next semester," she replied.

Tommy sat down on the couch next to Kim and held her hand.

"Hey, I know saying it is easier said than done, but try not to worry about it. If it doesn't work out, they have excellent adaptation programs to help you transition into another one," he said.

"You always have a way of not only putting a positive spin on things, but you also are much more understanding than my father...who's paying for all of this," she replied.

Tommy squeezed her hand a little and leaned in for a kiss.

"Whatever you choose, you'll do great in," he replied.

Kim smiled but he could tell that she was still a little unsure.

"That reminds me, I gotta go to the counseling office this morning because I think I'm leaning towards Business Management," Tommy declared.

"Oh yeah?" Kim replied.

"Yeah, I've always wanted to run my own katate school and teach kids to stay focused. It helped me growing up, especially when things weren't going my way," he explained.

"I think you're making a great decision. You're a great teacher and mentor," she replied.

"Thanks, my appointment's at 9:30, I'd better get going. See you later," Tommy said and gave Kim a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Good luck," she replied.

There were many students in the counseling office with the same intent as Tommy: get a plan in place early and hopefully graduate quicker than normal, which will allow him to really hit the ground running. For once, he didn't want to shy away from school, he wanted to tackle it.

He looked around the waiting area, noticing that, like him, nerves were slightly on a higher level as they waited for a counselor to call their name.

"Geez, you'd think we're all waiting for our STD test results," said a girl's voice nearby.

Tommy had to chuckle as he looked over at the girl. She had half pink, half purple hair and was holding a computer engineering book in her lap.

"I think that would be worse than this," he replied.

"Hayley Ziktor?" a counselor called from the offices.

"That's me. Well, is it herpes?" she said outloud.

Tommy laughed a little too hard as the others waiting looked over at him. Hayley looked back before she reached the counselor and smiled at Tommy before she went into one of the offices.

"Thomas Oliver?" another counselor called out.

He stood up and headed into the awaiting counselor's office.

"Mr. Oliver, have a seat. I'm Ben Easton, one of the counselors here. So, you're one of the early birds who is ready to take charge of your future after just a week here?"

Tommy nodded and then replied, "You can call me, Tommy. Yeah, I'm interested in Business Management and opening my own Karate school."

The counselor was looking through a file folder that Tommy could only assume was his from Angel Grove High School.

"That's interesting because your grades don't point that way," Ben replied.

"I'm sorry, I'm not sure what you're implying," Tommy said, a little upset.

"Oh I'm sorry, I don't mean anything negative by that. See, older counselors will simply shake your hand and tell you that you made a wise decision without even asking you what you really enjoy and what you're really good at," Ben explained. "That's not what I am about. I want you to really think about what classes in high school you actually enjoyed because I have an idea of what it is and I want to see if we're on the same wavelength."

Tommy sat there for a bit to think. There were a few classes that he actually really liked.

"I loved my paleontology and geology classes," he replied.

"Those classes you passed with flying colors and I'm reading the notes from the teachers stating how engaged you were. I'm not getting those kind of notes from your business or management type of classes. Look Tommy, I'm not saying you can't go in the direction you've decided. You could very well graduate, open your karate school, and become successful. What I wonder though, is if it will be as fulfilling for you as something that you're very interested in would be. I perked up at your file because my mother happens to be one of the doctorate program directors and professor here at MIT in our Archaelogy/Paleontology department. Call me biased, but she's one of the best in the country in Paleontology and Archaeology."

"Wow, that's awesome," Tommy replied.

"How about you consider taking a couple of courses in her department next semester along with your Business Management studies. It won't slow you down or cause any issues if you decide that your current path is still the way you'd like to go," Ben stated.

Tommy appreciated the advice as he and Ben finished up the appointment. He then headed off to his first class for the day, Mathematics 103.

His mind was buzzing as the professor was explaining the solution to one of the many algebraic equations on his white board. Tommy found himself not taking notes but scribbling ideas to himself.

'Paleontologist, Tommy, nope...scratch that, Thomas Oliver. It does have a ring to it,' he thought.

After him barely paying any attention in Math, he headed towards his next class, which was Spanish 102. That walk brought him by the indoor arena that hosted most of the indoor sports and the occassional tournaments. His eyes happen to catch a certain poster for an upcoming tournament. A Karate tournament and how to register/sign up to compete.

"Perfect," he said to himself as he jotted down the details in his notebook.

Once Tommy finished his last class, English 102, he spent the walk back to the dorm trying to deal with all of the things that happened that day.

'I going to try what Ben said and see what I want more, I guess,' he thought to himself as he got up to his dorm.

"Hey Thomas, did you cement your life down?" Xavier asked as Tommy walked in.

"Yes and no. The counselor, who was pretty cool, by the way, suggested I try a couple of programs to see what I would like better," Tommy replied.

"Finally! Someone who doesn't think in ultimatums and absolutes...give me his name, I only want to see him," Xavier replied.

"Ben Easton. I guess his mom is a highly respected professor here," Tommy said.

"Even better for job recommendations and accreditations," Xavier boasted.

Tommy smiled as he headed over to his computer and signed on to IM. He saw that Kim wasn't online. He figured she was probably still at class. He noticed a new friend request was waiting for him to approve. "01001000_01011010 wants to be your friend."

"Hey, do you know who this is?" Tommy asked Xavier, who then walked over to see who Tommy was talking about.

"No, but I appreciate their username, it's binary code," he replied.

Tommy looked at him like he had three eyes. 

Xavier laughed and patted Tommy's shoulder. "It's computer language, I'll see what it means," he said and went to his computer.

After a little bit of typing and few clicks later, Xavier said, "It's the letters 'H' and 'Z'."

Tommy was still confused but decided to click accept on it anyway as whoever they are were still online and could block them later if he had to.

Sure enough, a separate chat window opened up from them.

 **01001000_01011010:** Sometimes, I'm too good.  
**karate_dragon:** i'm sorry, who is this?  
**01001000_01011010:** I'm Hayley. I was at the couseling office this morning when you were there.  
**karate_dragon:** ???  
**01001000_01011010:** I'm the one who joked about STDs and herpes. You laughed at it.  
**karate_dragon:** i'm sorry but how do you even know my name or username?  
**01001000_01011010:** It's stalkerish, I know, but I'm what you'd like to call a "hacker." I heard one of the counselors call your name before the office door was closed. It doesn't take me long to find out everything else about someone after I have a full name.  
**karate_dragon:** oh yeah, like what?  
**01001000_01011010:** Your name is Thomas Oliver, you graduated Angel Grove High School with decent grades. You're registered at the Angel Grove Karate Academy and Angel Grove Racing. You're adopted, according to California state records and you have quite an interesting juvenile record before the Olivers took you out of foster care. Should I continue?  
**katate_dragon:** please don't. that's terrifying.  
**01001000_01011010:** Sorry, you asked.  
**karate_dragon:** and i instantly regret it. look, don't get insulted if i say that i'm not comfortable with all of this.  
**01001000_01011010:** Understandable. I just wanted to say hi.  
**karate_dragon:** that's a very creepy way to say hi to someone.  
**01001000_01011010:** It is, but I mean no harm by it. I promise. I'm Hayley Ziktor. I can tell you anything you'd like to know to even the score.  
**karate_dragon:** ok why did you contact me?  
**01001000_01011010:** Wow, cut right to the chase, huh? Like I said, I just wanted to say hi. You seemed like a nice person.  
**karate_dragon:** i've been told that unless that's in a file somewhere.  
**01001000_01011010:** Nope, not in any that I've found yet.  
**01001000_01011010:** I'm kidding, Thomas. Look, don't sweat it. I'm sure I'll see you around campus. Again, I mean no harm. I come in peace.

With that, Hayley went offline, leaving Tommy wondering what the hell just happened. He wanted to wait for Kim to get back to the dorms so he can grab dinner with her and tell her about his crazy day. Xavier was going to wait for Amanda, who had a late class. He headed down to the cafeteria, hoping Kim would be down there around the usual time. Sure enough, she was in the line waiting to get food.

"Mind if I cut?" he asked a girl behind her. The girl smiled and nodded her head.

"Just barging in, huh?" Kim remarked.

"I can go back to the end of the line, if you'd like," Tommy replied.

Kim laughed and handed him a tray, before getting herself one.

"If he takes anything you wanted, let me know," Kim said to the girl behind him.

Tommy made it a point to reach over and grab the same thing Kim was getting every time, even if that meant eating something he may not have wanted.

"Will you stop it? You're such a child!" she said, trying to hit his hand out of the way.

Tommy couldn't help but mess with her until they headed over to an empty table.

"So, you must have had a great day, seeing you're annoying as hell," Kim joked.

"It was an interesting one, to say the least," Tommy replied.

The two shared their day with Kim's being pretty normal and Tommy's somewhat chaotic.

"I think Xavier and Ben are right...test out the waters and you'll find what you'll really want to do," Kim said.

"I hope so. Hey, I'm signing up for a karate tournament that will be towards the end of the semester. You wanna come cheer me on?" Tommy asked.

"You mean watch you kick everyone's ass? Absolutely, Thomas!" Kim replied, with some excitement in her voice.

Tommy finished Kim's dinner selections of chicken fingers, fries, and a small slice of apple pie on his plate as Kim finished hers.

"I want to invite you to watch a movie or something but I've got a lot of reading to catch up to tonight," Kim said as they left the cafeteria. 

"I totally understand. See you in the morning?" Tommy asked.

"Probably," she replied. "Good night, Tommy."

"Good night, Kim."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I remembered an article that mentioned how "back in the day" there was a clip where the actors answered in character what their character wanted to do after high school. Tommy's was to open a Karate School...which was so him at the time...so when canon went to doctor dino dude, it was very left field and even Adam questioned it later on. So, I tried to swing it a way that will make it more plausible...and will especially down the road in the story. :-D 
> 
> Thanks for the love! I send virtual hugs your way!


	5. Icing on the Cake

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kim surprises Tommy with tickets to a hockey game. Tommy has a surprise of his own for Kim.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok so I used to be a huge Detroit Red Wings fan growing up in the mid-to-late 90's because they were kicking names and taking...nevermind. Like most hobbies of mine, they tend to fizzle out after a while. Sadly, I just don't follow hockey anymore. I will say, though, that going to a hockey game is phenomenal, especially when your favorite is playing. I had the biggest crush on Chris Osgood, or Ozzie, as we all called him. When he went to play for the St. Louis Blues after all those years with the Red Wings, I surprised my husband with tickets to a St. Louis Blues versus the Los Angeles Kings. His favorite player was also a goaltender, Felix Potvin. Super luck would have both of them in goal that night. It was a ton of fun.
> 
> That long-winded tale is proof of nothing really, just me rambling. Enjoy!

After a particulary boring day of lectures and powerpoint presentations, Tommy was glad to get back to the dorm and see what his friends were up to.

Xavier wasn't back from class yet when Tommy opened their door. Not even five minutes went by when there was a knock at the door.

"Come in," Tommy announced.

Kim walked in and smiled when she saw him.

"Hey, I have a surprise for you," Kim said with a skip in her step.

"Oh yeah?" Tommy said.

"Here!" she said as she held out 2 tickets.

Tommy grabbed the tickets and read what they were for.

"Are these for us?" Tommy asked.

"No, I was going to give them to Xavier and Amanda...yes, they're for us!"

"You're taking me to my first NHL hockey game, you know," he declared.

Tommy walked over to Kim and gave her a hug. "Thanks, this is awesome."

"We gotta get going in order to catch the bus on time for the arena," Kim said and reached for his hand.

For once, and not being stuck in a storybook nightmare, Tommy was okay with being cold once they got inside the arena.

"This place is amazing," Tommy declared as they found their seats about 17 rows up from center ice.

"My Dad took me to a few of these growing up, depending on the city he was stationed in. It was one of the few times we really bonded and got along," Kim said.

"I had a problem in that area until the Olivers adopted me. But it's been much better since they've been so caring and understanding to me," Tommy replied.

They watched as the Boston Bruins were being introduced. 

"Now that I think about it, I don't think I've ever watched a hockey game. I played high school football as a quarterback one year...so I may annoy you with a lot of questions," Tommy joked.

Kim laughed her infectious laugh and put her arm around his shoulders. "You already annoy me though," she replied.

As the game started, Tommy found himself catching on rather quickly...with Kim's help.

"See, they have to start over there because that guy was offsides," she explained.

"Okay, I think I follow," he said as he looked over at Kim.

Kim looked over at him and found herself staring into his eyes.

Tommy slowly leaned in and gently kissed her lips.

Kim smiled as she leaned her head onto his shoulder and they continued to watch the game together.

"Thanks for this. It's nice to just relax and not have to worry about anything," Tommy said.

"What are you worrying about?" Kim asked.

"Nothing. It's just my past was a bit hectic. I could never really enjoy things like this," he replied as his eyes followed the game play.

A vendor was going down the stairs, carrying various snacks.

"Ooh, I love popcorn. My mom used to make it a lot when I was little," Kim said and perked up.

Tommy took out his wallet and waved for the vendor's attention. The man walked closer to them and Tommy asked for two bags of popcorn.

"You didn't have to do that," Kim said after Tommy handed her a bag.

"And you didn't have to do all of this, but you did," he replied.

"So tell me what your mom is like," Kim asked, in between bites.

"She's very patient," Tommy said and followed up with a laugh. "I think between me and my dad, she's earned a sainthood somehow."

"Were you that bad?" Kim asked.

"I tested the waters for a while when I was first placed with them. I rebelled even though I was finally glad to have a home and out of foster care. My mom was understanding and didn't take it personally when I would lash out. She and my dad knew I was a little rough around the edges and just needed time to straighten out," Tommy replied.

"I was straightened out except that was never good enough for my Dad. He always wanted more, wanted better. My mom tried to keep the peace between him and I, all up until the day she died," Kim said.

Tommy looked over at Kim, who was trying not to look over, focusing on the game.

"Kim, I'm sorry about your mom," he said.

He watched her as she wiped her eyes and looked away.

"I miss her every day and I'm pissed that she was taken away and not him," Kim said, the anger obvious in her voice.

Tommy put his arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer to him. He could hear her let out a long sigh.

"I didn't mean for this to be a therapy session," Kim said, quietly.

"It's okay, Kim. I'm here for you," Tommy replied.

After Boston won, the two walked hand-in-hand as they left the arena and walked towards the bus stop.

"I know it might be a long walk, but wanna walk home with me?" Tommy asked.

Kim stepped up on her tippy toes and kissed Tommy, to which he put his arms around her waist and continued kissing her more. Tommy felt the air leave his lungs, but he didn't care. The nerves in his stomach actually helped him continue kissing her. Finally, they both pulled back and found themselves trying to catch their breath.

"I would love to walk home with you, Thomas," Kim replied.

As they began their walk, hand-in-hand, Tommy thought of something.

"Hey, I know it is personal, but why don't you like your name?" he asked.

"It's a long story," she replied.

"We have a long walk ahead of us," Tommy joked. "You don't have to, I was just curious."

"No, it's fine. My Mom wanted to name me Kimberly, but my Dad hated it. So, my Dad did what any rational person would do and threatened to divorce my Mom," Kim said.

"Are you serious?" Tommy asked, astonished.

"Yep, over a name, I know. But that's how he was and still is. It wasn't the first time, either. He just has a bad temper and gets really mad at stupid things," she replied. "After about 2 months of them being separated, my Dad came back and said the only name he would accept was Kimber."

"And you don't want to be reminded of that every time you hear your name," Tommy said.

"Bingo, so Kim it is," she replied.

Tommy stopped and pulled Kim in for a hug.

"I'm sorry you had to go through all of that," Tommy said.

"Don't be, you weren't the one being an asshole," Kim responded.

"So, now that I revealed a big secret, it's time for you to reveal one of yours," she joked.

"You wouldn't believe me anyway if I told you," Tommy replied.

Kim stopped walking and crossed her arms.

Tommy turned around, wondering what Kim was doing.

"So, you're really a billionaire's son forced to go to college or you won't get any of Daddy's money and mansions in Malibu," Kim joked.

"No, it's nothing like that. I only have a small savings account," Tommy replied, with a laugh.

"You can tell me, Tommy. I won't think any differently of you," Kim replied as she walked to him and reached out for his hand.

They started walking again, holding hands, as Tommy built up the courage to speak.

"You promise?" he asked.

"Absolutely, Tommy Oliver," Kim declared.

"You know how I'm from Angel Grove, right?" he said and watched Kim nod her head in agreement. "There is a reason why I never left when all of that shit was going on there. It is why I couldn't leave, even if I wanted to."

Kim looked up at Tommy and stayed quiet for him to continue, confused. She held his arm this time as they continued walking.

"It's funny thinking about that photo of you with your Dad at the TV studio because I was there too," he replied.

"What do you mean, Tommy? How were you there?" Kim asked.

"You were there to see me," he simply replied.

Tommy kept walking but stopped when he felt Kim pulling his arm back.

"What are you saying? Are you..." Kim started.

"Was...the White Ranger, and a few more inbetween, but that's all behind me now," Tommy replied.

Kim shook her head, repeating "no" to herself.

"That can't be...you can't be...you're just trying to make me feel better from my shitty story," she said.

"I'm telling the truth, Kim, as crazy as it sounds. Going to college is the chance for me to lead a normal life. It was a huge responsibility being a Ranger, especially the leader."

"You were the leader of the Power Rangers?" she asked, her voice shaking.

"Yeah, I started off as the Green Ranger, then..." he started.

"Wait, stop. Wait a second...you were the Green Ranger?" she asked.

"Yeah, but that started and ended badly. I was given the White Ranger powers after that and the role of leader. There's so much that it gets confusing after a while and even I get lost," Tommy explained.

"There is no way you could make all of this up and make it sound credible...you're telling the truth, aren't you?" Kim stated.

"100 percent," Tommy simply replied, reaching for Kim's hand.

Kim grabbed his hand and they started walking again as it was getting late.

"I have so many questions," Kim said.

"I would be surprised if you didn't," Tommy joked.

"Did you parents know?" she asked.

"Nope, we had to keep it a secret from everyone, no matter how close to us they were. That was really tough but we understood why it needed to be that way," Tommy answered.

"So not even a girlfriend?" Kim asked.

"Nope, but I guess I made it easy on myself and only dated Rangers," Tommy said, laughing to himself.

"It's convienient," Kim replied, her tone jovial.

"You're taking this a lot better than I thought you would. I was afraid you were going to immediately hate me," Tommy said.

"It's not the kind of news I'm used to getting but it makes me respect you even more, Tommy. I can see why you were a Power Ranger. You're such a great guy," she replied.

"When we get back to the dorm, I want to show you pics that no one else has seen. Those of my time as a Ranger," he happily announced, squeezing her hand.

"I would be honored, Tommy," Kim said and reached up for a kiss.

She started laughing once they stopped kissing.

"What's so funny," he asked.

"I dreamed forever of being able to kiss the Green Ranger and now I can say that I have," Kim replied, and started laughing again.

They finally reached campus and their dorm. They both admitted that was a mistake to walk that far but they were both glad to have shared what they had. Tommy led Kim up to his dorm and luckily, Xavier was out doing whatever.

Tommy reached under his desk to find his suitcase and he pulled out the album that was hidden in one of the pockets.

"Have a seat," he said as he walked towards her near the futon.

Kim sat down and took the plain-looking album in her hands. She opened it to the first picture, which was Tommy in his Green Ranger uniform with Alpha 5. Her fingers traced over his uniform.

"Who is that fun little robot dude?" she asked.

"That's Alpha 5. He helped us at the Command Center with making sure we got all that we needed to fight whatever was out there," he replied.

"Oh my God, your hair," she exclaimed as she flipped to another picture when he was with all of the Rangers without their helmets on.

"I told you...humidity nightmare. I didn't do much with it back then. But it kept getting in the way and making it hard to get my helmet on, so I had to start straightening it and shave the sides because it kept wanting to stick out of the damn thing. Damn, what a pain in the ass now that I come to think of it," Tommy joked.

Kim went through a couple of pictures and noticed one with his arm around the Pink Ranger with brown hair.

"Let me guess, your Ranger girlfriend," she stated.

"Yeah, one of them. She's, ironically, named Kimberly," he said.

"Hold on a second, Romeo, did you say one of them?" Kim snapped.

Tommy rose his arms in the air like he was confused. "When Kim left to compete in the Pan Global games, we tried long distance for a while, but she ended up finding someone else. Katherine took over for her as the Pink Ranger and I fell for her too. I guess I had a thing for pink," Tommy replied.

"I think it's hilarious, but I can see why they stuck on to you...tall, kicks ass, the hair...oh and don't forget you're basically in charge of everything...hmmm, nah, who knows why they were so interested in you," Kim remarked with a hint of sarcasm.

Tommy wrapped his arm around Kim as she finished going through the pics.

"Do you miss it?" Kim asked after a few minutes of silence.

"I miss the friends I made and the chance to make a difference, but I'm glad to be here, living a somewhat normal life again," Tommy replied.

Kim spontaneously put the album aside and straddled Tommy's lap, facing him. He felt his heart stop, but quickly regained a beat as he wrapped his hands around her waist.

She slowly leaned in and kissed his lips, tenderly, as Tommy brought his hands up her back. She placed her hands behind his neck and ran her fingers through his hair as they continued to kiss.

"Looks like I have some competition," Kim said as they finished their kiss.

"I'll never think of it that way. That was in the past and I'm in the now with you," Tommy replied, pulling her in to kiss her neck.

Kim moved her hair away as he gently sucked the tender skin by her collarbone.

Tommy felt Kim's hands reach for his hands and pull them towards her chest. 

"Kim, I..." Tommy started.

"It's ok, I want this..." Kim replied.

Tommy, revived by her confidence, started to lift her shirt above her chest as she raised her arms. Kim, instinctly, grabbed at his shirt, pulling it off of him. 

He felt her hands push him over to lay down on his back on the futon while she straddled on top. He felt his nerves at an all-time high, enough for Kim to notice.

"Tommy, you're shaking, what's wrong?" Kim asked.

"I...this sucks to have to admit it but I've never..." Tommy stammered.

"Don't worry, me too. I won't judge, if you won't," Kim replied.

Tommy sighed, and pulled Kim down to kiss her heavily. 

Xavier must have stayed at Kim and Amanda's dorm overnight because when Tommy woke up, the sun was just coming up and it was just him and Kim. He couldn't move anywhere because her arms were wrapped around him. He smiled when he thought about what happened last night. If there was to be a measure of a first time, he didn't have any complaints. He caringly brushed the hair out of her face and watched her sleep.

"You can..move me...I know...you're awake..." Kim mumbled as he stopped moving. He carefully slid off of the futon, after she let go of her embrace. He watched as she turned herself to face the back of the futon and curl up a little. He grabbed his blanket off of his loft bed and placed it on Kim. 

"I'll be in the lounge when you get up," he whispered in her ear, kissing her earlobe. He heard a small grunt and smiled before he changed into his pajama bottoms and a t-shirt before leaving.

The lounge was empty as usual. It was calming and serene with the sunrise rays flowing in through the large picture windows.

Tommy felt energized for obvious reasons and practiced a few moves as he waited for Kim to meet him later. 

"I can never get tired of watching you," said a voice from the entrance of the lounge.

Tommy stopped and turned around to see Kim in one of his t-shirts and shorts. He watched her walk towards him and placed her arms around him, pulling him for a kiss.

"Good morning, gorgeous," Tommy said.

"I hope it's okay that I raided your wardrobe. My clothes from yesterday were just gross," Kim replied.

"I expect them to be fully dry cleaned when returned," he joked.

Kim playfully slapped Tommy on the shoulder as he laughed.

"I'm absolutely starving, care to join me for some breakfast?" Tommy asked, caressing her hand in his.

"I bet you are, Romeo," she replied, with a grin.

They walked to the dining hall, which had just opened for the day, so it was pretty much empty, with the exception of two other students.

"There's the two lovers!" Xavier announced rather loudly through the empty dining hall.

Tommy and Kim looked at each other and noticed their were both blushing. Tommy simply nodded over Xavier's way and decided not to reply until they got to their table. He chose a hearty breakfast of waffles, bacon, sausage, scrambled eggs, and toast. Kim went with a breakfast burrito with extra salsa and sour cream on the side. 

"Kim, I had to crash at your place as I could hear the heavy petting in the hallway and knew better than to crash in on that scene," Xavier joked as they sat down.

"You didn't hear shit, Xavier," Kim responded and threw a piece of egg that was on her plate at him.

Tommy laughed and felt a familiar energy that he felt when he had his powers. Thinking about it made him chuckle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hear me out on this, lol. I made this his first time because I really didn't think he had the time during his Ranger days and was just too dedicated to his commitments. In Turbo, he was barely around. He even missed his own graduation. IMO, he's able to just focus on the now instead of always having to think into the future and constantly look over his shoulder for the latest attack. 
> 
> Steps off podium. lol
> 
> Love you all for reading!


	6. Try It, You Might Like It

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A fateful meeting may set Tommy on a different path.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The talkity talk of the reboot of a reboot Power Rangers movie seems interesting. It is a bummer they're dropping the last one/cast. I hate that in any genre when something is either canceled or just dropped. The movie I want to see in my lifetime would have to be The Legend of Zelda...but the amount of pressure to make it right would be insane! And Link would have to speak and be hot...anyway...
> 
> Thanks for reading! Be safe!

There were a couple of weeks left in the first semester and registering for classes was starting soon. Tommy went through the class catalogue and noticed that he would be able to register for his Business Management courses as well as a Paleontology course.

As he looked at the catalog online, an email pops up from Ben Easton, his college counselor.

_"Tommy,_

_I hope you don't mind but I talked to my Mom about you and your possible interest in the Paleontology program. She wanted me to pass on the invitation for you to meet her and stop in on a class of hers this week. I've attached the possible times. Let me know if you are interested and what time so I can pass on that information to her. Again, no pressure, but you do what will make you feel fufilled._

_From,_

_Ben"_

Another email popped up. This time it was from John Oliver.

_"Tommy,_

_Your mother couldn't help herself and sent you a care package. You should be receiving that in a few days. We're thinking about making a trip out to see you and make sure you haven't corrupted yourself yet. (just teasing) Not this Saturday, but the next Saturday...would that work? Let me know a.s.a.p. and I'll book the tickets and hotel._

_Love you,_

_Dad"_

Tommy smiled as he hit 'reply' and thought about what he was going to say. Should he even mention Kim? It's early but he wonders if Kim would be interested or okay with meeting them. 

_"Dad,_

_Tell Mom "thank you" for sending her thoughtfulness, as always. I haven't corrupted myself yet, but it's still early. (ha ha, couldn't help myself) Mom would be glad to know that I've met some friends and everything is actually really good. I would love for you guys to visit and that Saturday will work. There's a Karate tournament right before that, so you might see me with a trophy too. I'll also see if my friends will be around, so you can meet who is willing to put up with me._

_Love,_

_Tommy"_

He laughed as he hit 'send' and then also replied to Ben, picking the Wednesday class time to meet Professor Easton and check out a course. He heard a "knock knock" and noticed that Kim was online on IM.

**karate_dragon:** hey  
**watermelonkisses79:** hey, what r u up 2?  
**karate_dragon:** just sending emails. my parents want to visit here a couple of saturdays from now.  
**watermelonkisses79:** nice, am i worthy of meeting the parents?  
**karate_dragon:** why would you think that you weren't? i haven't told them about you yet. i like keeping them on their toes. adds to their confidence in me.  
**watermelonkisses79:** ...  
**karate_dragon:** what?  
**watermelonkisses79:** nothing. i just wanted to see if you'd get worried thinking i was upset or something.  
**karate_dragon:** are u?  
**watermelonkisses79:** ha ha, nope. i'd love to meet your parents. they seem like really awesome people.  
**karate_dragon:** they'll love ya. i promise.  
**watermelonkisses79:** sorry to cut this short, but i gotta go to class. see u later?  
**karate_dragon:** definitely. bye 

Tommy looked at the time and realized he had to get ready for his 2pm class. He looked over at Xavier, who was taking a nap in his loft bed. He almost thought about scaring him awake, but decided against it as he wasn't ready to start a prank war just yet.

As he walked through campus, he looked up to the sky, wondering how Billy was doing on Aquitar. He missed his friendship, but knew what it was like to find yourself wherever that may take you. He thought about his time in foster care and how he dreamt of being a part of a family. He also wondered how his brother was doing. So many things were going through Tommy's head that when he reached his class, he was having a hard time focusing.

"Can I borrow your notes for a second, I missed what was on the board," Tommy asked a guy sitting a couple of lecture seats apart from him.

"Sure," the guy replied and handed him his notebook.

Tommy jotted down as much as he could before he felt he was taking up too much time and handed the notebook back.

"Thanks, man," Tommy replied.

He looked down at his own notebook and frowned at his awful, messy handwriting, making the notes almost indecipherable. He flipped through the empty pages, looking to start anew and saw that one page already had writing on it. Curious, he went to it because he didn't think he wrote that far into it. He took a second to read the handwriting that wasn't his.

_"Tommy,_

_I saw your notebook on your desk when you went downstairs this morning. I like to leave little notes when someone is least expecting it. Last night was really special to me as I hope it was to you too. And I'm not saying that because of who you used to be. I'm saying that to you, Thomas Oliver, a guy from California, who treats me with respect unlike my past boyfriends...can I call you my boyfriend? Geez, I feel like I should put some check boxes with yes? or no? by them and have you give me this note back. Anywho, I'm going downstairs and watch you do what makes me smile._

_\- Kimber"_

Tommy felt his cheeks warm up as he re-read her note. What he was really impressed by was how she signed her full first name at the end. He wondered if that was way of her letting him more into her life. What he did know for sure though, was he was falling hard for her.

Tommy left class when the time finally ended and headed off to his last class for the day, Holistics 101, which was a general ed class. He picked it thinking the natural healing and meditation would align with his karate philosophies and would just help in general. The professor, today, wanted the class to practice meditation. She turned off the lights in the lecture hall and instructed everyone to close their eyes and follow a deep breathing pattern. She played a cd of calming ocean waves and other sounds while they meditated. 

Tommy felt relaxed but he let his mind wander again as he could hear a couple of people snoring, which made him laugh accidentally.

"Sorry," he said outloud, trying not to look if anyone was staring at him.

When class ended, a lot of students were talking to each other, in awe of how relaxed they felt after their meditation class. Tommy felt clearheaded and relaxed as well. It's been a long time since he really felt free from stress, free from fear, free from the fight. What he knew for sure was that he wanted to see Kim and tell her about the note. Tell her that, yes, he is her boyfriend. He was ready to hear his parents say how he's always having to be with someone. He knew he jumped in quickly each time and he couldn't help it. Maybe it was his past of never having any attachments that made him this way. Having someone in his life helped him feel whole.

Tommy went straight up to Kim's floor, walked up to her door and knocked. In his other hand, he held the notebook, opened to the page that contained her note. And he waited. Amanda opened the door.

"Hey, I guess you're looking for Kim," she said.

"Yeah," he replied.

"She said she was going to the lounge," Amanda replied.

"Thanks," Tommy replied and headed back downstairs. 

Before he entered the lounge, he could hear someone playing the piano in there. He walked in quietly and noticed Kim was the one at the piano, playing. He walked up as quietly as he could so she wouldn't notice. He watched as she continued to play a beautiful piece. When she finished, he started clapping.

Kim jumped in her seat and turned to Tommy. "Oh my gosh, you scared the shit out of me!"

"You're really great," he replied with a smile.

"Thanks. I've been playing since I was seven," she said as she stood up.

"You shouldn't be here. You should be at a college of music. You're very talented. I can't even sing...it's awful," he declared.

"It's not up to me, Tommy. My Dad controls the checkbook when it comes to my future," Kim replied as she walked up to him. She looked down and noticed he was holding his notebook.

"So you must have found it," she said, as she looked up.

Tommy smiled and handed it to her.

He couldn't help it, but he drew two boxes at the bottom. One with a 'yes' next to it, and one with a 'no' next to it. The one with the 'yes' was check marked. Kim looked at the letter with the added portion and looked back up at Tommy, with tears starting in her eyes. She couldn't help herself and she jumped in his arms. He caught her and held her up, finding her lips with his.

Wednesday morning, Tommy woke up with a bundle of nerves in his stomach, as this was the morning he would meet with Professor Easton in the Paleontology/Archaelogy department and sit in on one of the courses. 

"You'll be fine. Just be yourself," Xavier said as they were both walking on campus.

"I know. I don't know why I'm so nervous," Tommy replied.

"Maybe because this could be a life changer, duh," Xavier joked.

Tommy knew Xavier was right. This could change his entire trajectory of life and that excited him as well as scare him, a little.

"Good luck and let me know how it went," Xavier said, before slapping Tommy's hand.

"Thanks, I'll need it," Tommy replied and walked into the smaller, yet historic looking building.

The main lobby looked straight out of a historical museum. An actual skeletal model of a Brachiosaurus stood to greet everyone who walked in. He looked down at the information plate that was below it.

'Brachiosaurus, late Jurassic Period  
Donated and Discovered by: Dr. Jennifer Easton, Head Paleontologist"

"I see you've found my work," said a woman's voice nearby.

Tommy looked up to see a well dressed woman standing nearby and as he straightened up, he noticed she was a few inches taller than him. 

"You must be Tommy Oliver. My son would not stop talking about you. I'm Dr. Easton, but please call me, Jennifer," she said, reaching out her hand.

Tommy shook her hand and replied, "I guess I have a reputation to uphold, depending on what he said."

"Just one of promise," she replied. "Here, let's go into my office and we'll chat for a bit before my class starts."

Tommy followed her to the faculty area of the building and was just in awe with all of the displays and historical artwork that lined the walls.

"This place is really amazing," Tommy said as they stepped into Jennifer's office.

Her office was even more fascinating as years of work displayed themselves proudly wherever there was an empty space to do so. There were pictures of Jennifer at various digs around the world and standing near various monuments and natural wonders. 

"Have a seat. Would you like anything to drink?" she asked as Tommy sat down in a chair in front of her desk.

"No thanks. I'm just in awe over here," he replied.

"Yeah, I've been just about anywhere you could dig. So much work for the reward, but it is very worth it. My son tells me that you're wanting to open your own Karate school," she said as she sat down in her chair at the desk.

"I would love to continue teaching kids the passion that I have for Karate. It's helped me so much growing up and I love it," he replied, unsure of why this was being asked.

"So, you've taught kids before?" she asked.

"Yeah, back in Angel Grove, where I'm from, I would help teach free classes for kids and adults too. And when I had the time, I would teach at the local Karate Academy too," he answered.

"Are you wondering why I haven't even asked you about why you would like to join this program?" Jennifer asked.

Tommy let out a slight laugh and nodded his head.

"Because I wanted to see how passionate you are about something you've been doing almost your whole life. It shows me a lot about your character. You're someone who gives 100% in something, is willing to give back, and is not afraid to show it," she replied. "I'm assuming you'll be able to step in on my next class? I'd really like for you to see what it's all about."

"Absolutely," Tommy replied.

"Great, let's walk together then and I can talk a little bit about the curriculum and the timing," she said as she stood up.

When they reached the other building where they shared classes with the science department, Tommy was taking as many mental notes as possible. He especially liked the part where Professor Easton mentioned how one could earn their Doctorate in as little as six years. It would take a lot of work and focus, but it could be done.

"You can have a seat anywhere and I promise I won't make you do any weird introductions in front of the class," she joked.

Tommy sat towards the back and took out his notebook from his backpack. He smiled when he saw it was on the page where Kim's letter was written and his declaration to her about them being a couple. He found some blank pages and was ready to take notes.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, last week, we focused on the flight patterns of condors and how they relate to the various in-flight paths of Confuciusornis. As we study the flight patterns, based on fossil findings, it became clear to us that these bird-like species travelled in large groups over water," Professor Easton began.

Tommy listened as she spewed out facts like poetry, never once having to check any notes or look to a book for guidance. He was actually proud of himself to remember a few facts that she was going over as she wrote things down on the chalkboard. He felt completely engaged and wondered if the other students in the class did too. In fact, he was too busy focusing on the professor, that he finally took a look around and noticed that Hayley was in the class too.

As class ended, Tommy felt a little putout that it was over so soon as he was willing to sit there and listen all day to all of this. Hayley, who was sitting towards the front of the room, noticed Tommy sitting there on her way out.

"Hey Tommy, I didn't know you were in this class," she said, with her eyes looking somewhat away.

"Hey Hayley, I'm not. Professor Easton invited me to sit in on one of her classes to see if I would be interested in the Paleotology program," he replied, honestly. He could have just lied and given her a rude answer and be done with it, but he didn't want to be short with her.

"I took this as a Gen ed as I'm going into computer programing and science but I heard Professor Easton is amazing. It's one of my better Gen eds," Hayley replied.

Tommy noticed that Professor Easton was talking to a few students and wanted to wait to speak with her.

"Look Tommy, about what I said online..." Hayley started.

"Don't worry about it," Tommy interjected. "The Internet is a crazy place that I'm still getting used to. I know you didn't mean anything harmful by it."

"You don't?" Hayley asked.

"No, you would have made me a skin suit by now, if you did," Tommy joked.

Hayley laughed and held out her hand.

"Let's start this over then. Hi, I'm Hayley," she announced.

"Hey Hayley, I'm Tommy," he replied and shook her hand.

"I'll be online later, feel free to chat and I promise I won't dig up any dirt on you," Hayley said.

"Deal," Tommy replied and Hayley left.

He noticed the Professor was available to talk to and headed to the front of the classroom.

"So, Tommy, what did you think? I didn't put you to sleep did I?" Jennifer asked as she put away her papers.

"Just the opposite. It's awesome how you're able to teach like that without notes or anything," he replied.

"Years of practice, I guess. I have a lab tomorrow where the students are working on the latest dig technology. I would love it if you could join us then too," she stated.

"Sure, that would be great although I'm not the greatest with technology," he replied.

"It's fool proof. It's here but in Lab Room 3 and it's at 3pm tomorrow," she said.

Tommy agreed and said thanks to the Professor before leaving. He felt completely at ease since everything felt promising. As he made it back to his room, he decided he would take sometime to himself to really think about what he wanted to do. Maybe he would use some of the relaxation methods he learned in his holistics class.


	7. When the Past Catches Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tommy's closer to a decision on which career path to take and how it will affect his future...in more ways than he realizes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! So, I heavily tiktok...like a lot a lot and there is an awesome tiktok of a guy meeting a Tommy/White Ranger cosplayer...and his love for the character and the show was very apparent and he mentioned how he would rush home from school to watch the show. He's like "this is Tommy, the White Ranger..." as if it really was him. Even after all these years, we all look upon it so fondly and with great memories. I like BEGGED my Dad to take me to the movie theater with my neighborhood friend to see MMPR: The Movie....BEGGED. Luckily, he caved in because he realized his daughter was more into Power Rangers and The Legend of Zelda than most girls my age at the time. It was AWESOME in the theater...Tommy...on the big screen...the peppered in Tomberly moment...his leadership...his hair.....lordie, hold me up!
> 
> Yes, I've seen the movie many times since then and yes, a lot of it is cheese...but guess what? I love cheese! Sometimes, we need to keep our childhood alive inside instead of it dying off and we become absolute shitheads. 
> 
> So please enjoy this chapter and thank you so much for reading!

The next morning, Tommy woke up and decided to start his day off with a run around campus. Because his Ranger days were well behind him, he felt a slight lapse in his fitness level and was determined not to let that go. The fall morning was a lot cooler than he was used to in Angel Grove and he started regretting not wearing a jacket but he ignored it. As he made it back to his dorms, he decided to go to the lounge to see if Kim was there.

Sure enough, Kim was standing by the coffee maker, waiting for a pot to brew. She looked over to see Tommy walk in.

"Ooh, you look even hotter all sweaty," she said.

Tommy smiled and was pretty sure his cheeks were even redder than from running just now.

"Good morning, Beautiful," he replied.

He walked over to Kim, who was now able to pour some coffee into her watermelon-themed mug.

"Want some?" she asked.

"Sure," he replied.

Kim grabbed a paper coffee cup and poured him some coffee. She handed it to him and they both took a sip from their cups.

"How did the meeting go yesterday?" she asked.

"It went awesome. I'm really leaning towards switching programs," Tommy replied.

"That's wonderful, Tommy," Kim replied. "I gotta go get ready, I'll see you later," Kim said and gave Tommy a kiss.

"See you, Beautiful," he replied.

He took his coffee and went up to his room to relax for a little before he headed back to campus for the lab. Xavier had already left for his classes, so Tommy decided to pop on IM. Right away, a chat box popped up.

**01001000_01011010:** Hey  
 **karate_dragon:** hey hayley  
 **01001000_01011010:** I see you've signed up for the upcoming Karate Tournament.  
 **karate_dragon:** of course you did. i guess that's online as well?  
 **01001000_01011010:** If it makes you feel any better, it's not on a public site. These are just school files.  
 **karate_dragon:** is there anything you don't know about me? no wait nevermind i said that.  
 **01001000_01011010:** lol we all have secrets, Tommy.  
 **karate_dragon:** you've got that right.  
 **01001000_01011010:** If you do go into the Paleontology program, I have some great tech you should check out. I invented it myself but the patent office won't accept my applications. They just don't know a genius when they see one.  
 **karate_dragon:** cool, i'm game.  
 **01001000_01011010:** I've been meaning to ask you...what was it like living in Giant Beasts Attack Pretty Much Daily City?  
 **karate_dragon:** lol it was about as crazy as that description is. where are you from?  
 **01001000_01011010:** Crazy lil' Ohio where nothing happens. At least stuff happens here in Mass. I think. I haven't seen it yet, but I'm hopeful.  
 **karate_dragon:** you never know.   
**01001000_01011010:** Gotta go, I have class soon. Bye!  
 **karate_dragon:**

Hayley signed off before Tommy could even reply, which made him laugh. She was quirky but in a good way. He spent the rest of the time thinking about what he should do. Not before long, he noticed it was time to go.

When he reached the computer lab, he noticed a couple of computers in the backrow were available and took one of them.

Professor Easton entered the Lab and set her stuff down at the front desk. She looked around and noticed Tommy was there. She briefly nodded once she caught his attention.

"Today, we're going to learn how to focus on specific bone signatures with our computer scanning program. What will make this really interesting, is that we will be using an actual area of islands known for their past history with dinosaur migrations and habitats," Professor Easton explained. "Please start up the Paleon-1000 scanning software program and I'll walk you all through the rest."

She walked around the different rows, making sure everyone was on the correct program. She headed towards Tommy in the back and looked at his screen. He had the right one opened.

"See? I told you this was fool proof. Great job, so far," she said, quietly as to not draw any attention.

Professor Easton headed back towards the front and dimmed the lights. She turned on a projector that allowed her computer screen be shown on the wall behind her. Tommy, and the other students, followed as she showed them how the program works and how to find specific bone signatures by using satelite technology.

"As you can see, simply by adjusting your settings, you can find many signatures of many dinosaur bones. The chart on the wall behind me will help you pinpoint what kind of dinosaur that particular signature is from. Take the next 20 minutes here and experiment with different settings. I'd like to hear some that you find along the way, so let me know what you've found," she explained.

Tommy was eager to get to searching. This kind of technology seemed really useful to him, although he wouldn't mind getting his hands dirty on an actual dig. He tried quite a few settings and was able to find a T-Rex and maybe a Velociraptor. He tried the weirdest combinations he could until one caught his eye.

"Professor? When I did some refining on the specific signatures, I came across one in particular that I don't recognize and doesn't seem to be on the chart," Tommy said as the Professor was making her rounds down the aisles. 

Professor Easton walked towards Tommy's computer and took a closer look.

"I don't either, hmm, that's odd," she started. "I'll have one of my doctorate students take a look into it."

Tommy lied. He had a hunch about what that signature was as he had recognized it before. It was a morphing signature buried deep below. It had to be. There was one person who could help him know for sure. After the professor walked away, Tommy quietly took a blank 3.5 floppy disk out and saved the signature data on it.

As the final minute went by in class, Tommy walked to the Professor's desk where she was finishing up some lab notes.

"Professor Easton, do you have a moment?" he asked.

"Of course, have a seat," she said and motioned for him to sit. "What can I help you with?"

"I've made the decision to go into the Doctorate program of Paleontology," he declared.

The Professor took a moment before she spoke up. "Tommy, I appreciate your declaration and I respect the determination. However, I want you to understand that this is a decision that will change your career path into a very specific path. It's a very structured program that will require a lot of focus and dedication. Having said all of that...I believe that you would be a wonderful addition to the program."

Professor Easton ended her speech with a smile and she held her hand out to shake.

"Thank you so much, Professor Easton. I won't let myself fail," Tommy replied as he shook her hand.

"I know you won't," she replied.

Since the lab was the last class of the day, Tommy went to the regular computer lounge to send a very important email. He headed over to nearest available computer. He noticed the time on the wall clock above. Tommy had 35 minutes until the karate tournament at the indoor arena.

_"Billy,_

_It feels like eons ago when we were all together, doesn't it? I'm sorry I haven't been in contact much. College is something I needed to feel more normal but I always feel like something is pulling me back in on purpose. I need your help. At the lab today, I found a certain signature that I'm very sure you'll recognize right away. Something is telling me that there is more out there in our past than we know._

_Take Care,  
Tommy"_

He waited a few minutes, wondering how email even got to Billy on Aquitar, but didn't want to question the physics about it. Sure enough, a pop up let him know that Billy replied already. Tommy felt his nerves hit purely from excitement.

_"Tommy,_

_I think you need to study up on the spacial timing of an eon. I am also to blame on the lack of contact as well. Our lives have split us in directions we would have never imagined, but all for good, I am sure. The signature is concerning and should be explored deeper. My only fear is you will be pulled back into something you just left. Are you sure this is what you want? I can always find someone else to look into this for us._

_With Concern,  
Billy"_

Tommy sat back in the chair. Billy was right. Was Tommy ready and willing to look deeper into something that could very well pull him back into his past "world?" He took a deep breath and replied.

When Tommy left the computer lounge, he noticed a familiar woman with pink and purple hair sitting by a tree outside of the lounge. She was holding something that looked like a portable CD player but had flashing lights on it and was making all sorts of beeping sounds. She was actively cursing at it.

"Stupid piece of shit," she said outloud, while hitting a few buttons.

"Having issues?" Tommy asked while he approached.

"Always. I made this communicator to try to communicate with the STS-87 Shuttle mission and it's just not working," she said, all while still looking down at it.

"I wish I could say that I could help you, but there is no way in hell," he replied.

The girl stopped working on her communicator and looked up at Tommy standing there.

"You're taller than I remember," she said.

"Um, thanks," he replied.

Hayley laughed and looked out to where he was coming from.

"So, you trust those college computers? I feel like they are watching every letter you type. If you'd like, my roommate and I are running our own computer lab that is completely encrypted and safe from prying eyes. Can't trust a lot of people these day," Hayley said.

"I was just sending an email to a friend of mine, who lives far, far away. The college would be bored with what I have to say, anyway. But I'll keep it in mind if I need to conduct any top secret plans," Tommy replied.

"Figures..." Hayley joked under her breath.

"Tommy! I've been looking all over for you!" yelled Xavier from down the way.

"I gotta go, but it was nice seeing you. I'll let you know if I ever need your 007 computer," Tommy said.

"Here, take my number in case I'm not on IM," Hayley said, grabbing a pen and a scrap piece of paper out of her backpack, jotting down her phone number. "Good luck at your tournament, I'll be there to cheer you on."

"Thanks," Tommy said as he took the number and shoved it in his pocket. 

Xavier ran up to Tommy, just as he waved goodbye to Hayley.

"Yo, who's that?" Xavier asked as they started walking towards the indoor arena.

"Hayley," Tommy replied.

"The stalker chick?" Xavier joked.

Tommy glared at Xavier in a not-so-nice way before continuing their way to the arena.

"Are you ready for the competition?" Xavier asked, trying to change the subject.

"Always," Tommy replied.

As they approached the main entrance to the arena, Kim was standing there with a gym bag in her hand. Tommy walked up and gave her a kiss, while taking the bag from her.

"Thank you so much for bringing this," he replied.

Tommy noticed that she wasn't smiling and seemed down but as soon as he was going to ask her about it, an announcer's voice echoed over all the speakers. "Tournament starts in 10 minutes, competitors should be heading to the center soon.

"Damn, I gotta get ready! Wish me luck," Tommy replied and ran off to the locker rooms. 

Tommy headed out of the locker rooms after changing into his competitive karate gi. He looked out to the stands and found where Xavier and Kim were sitting. He also recognized his twin friends, Chris and Aaron sitting nearby as well. One last glance and he saw the pink and purple hair of Hayley. He walked over to the registration table.

"Name?" said a man at the table.

"Tommy Oliver," he answered.

The man looked on the list and smiled.

"Tommy from the famous Angel Grove, huh? Well, you'll be going against Kevin Donovan and the winner of that match will move to the next round" one of the organizers said.

"Thanks," Tommy replied. 

He watched as the tournament began and noticed his match was at the end of the round. It gave him the chance to observe the winners of all of the other matches. He could find weaknesses and traits. In between matches, he looked for Kim, who appeared to be talking a lot to Xavier. 

"Next match, Tommy Oliver of Angel Grove, California versus Kevin Donovan of Tampa Bay, Florida," the announcer declared.

"Ooh, we're dealing with a Power Ranger here," Kevin quipped before stepping onto the competition mat.

Tommy kept a straight face but thought 'if only you knew, bud.'

They bowed to the judges first and then to themselves with Tommy noting Kevin was a couple of inches taller.

Kevin was also slighty faster as he started out with a quick set of kicks. 

Tommy could hear cheering for both sides and even thought he heard Kim and Xavier at some points, when he wasn't almost kicked in the head.

The match was completely even as time was almost running out. Tommy pulled through with a move he hadn't used since his fights with Goldar, since he was much taller. 

As the buzzer went off, Kevin and Tommy stopped to bow at each other and then shake hands.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say that you'd give the Power Rangers a run for their money," Kevin said as the judges discussed who the winner would be.

"You too, man. You're very good," Tommy replied.

"The judges have decided as it was a very close match...the winner who will be competing in the next round is...Tommy Oliver, from Angel Grove, California!" the announcer boomed over the speaker.

"Congrats, man. I'm picking you in the betting pool to win this whole thing," Kevin joked as he shook Tommy's hand again. 

"Thanks, I really appreciate it," Tommy replied.

The announcer stated that there would be a 10 minute intermission while the next round was being established. Tommy sprinted over to where his friends were standing in the stands.

"That was freaking amazing!" Xavier exclaimed as he gave Tommy a high five. 

Other students in the area were giving him compliments as well. Kim couldn't help herself and she ran over to give Tommy a hug.

"Okay, so you didn't completely demolish him..." Kim joked.

"I was extremely impressed. It was nice to fight someone who was equally good. I hadn't had a match like that since early high school when I first moved to Angel Grove," Tommy replied.

"Here, hydrate!" Xavier said as he shoved a bottle of water Tommy's way.

Tommy laughed as he grabbed the bottle and took a drink.

Kim motioned for Tommy to lean in a bit so she could whisper in his ear.

"I heard Kevin joke about him dealing with a Power Ranger here and I couldn't help but laugh out loud...Xavier was so confused," she whispered.

Tommy laughed as he turned to whisper to her.

"Looks like this Power Ranger's still got it," he whispered back.

Kim smiled as the announcer declared that the matches were to start in a couple of minutes.

"I gotta go," Tommy said.

"Win this thing, bro," Xavier shouted out.

Tommy waved as he ran back to the organizers to find out who his next match is against. 

"Ahh, the one from Angel Grove. Great form in that last match. You'll be competing against Chris Trenton in the last match again," the organizer said.

Tommy thanked him and walked to the side as he continued taking internal notes about the certain styles that continued on to the second to last round. Once the others finished, it was time again for Tommy to compete.

He remembered Chris' form and knew he would have to use his speed against Chris' strength. The match was evenly matched again with the judges having to decide the winner.

As they waited, Tommy looked out to the crowd and caught Hayley crossing her index and middle fingers on each hand. She noticed he was looking her way and waved. He smiled as he turned back to the judges' table.

Sure enough, Tommy was declared the winner and another 10 minute intermission was announced. He thanked Chris for a great match and headed back over to Xavier and Kim.

"You're gonna win this, I can feel it!" Xavier remarked.

"I hope so. They're really making me work for it today," Tommy replied.

He felt someone tap his shoulder and he turned around to see Hayley standing there.

"Hayley, hey!" he said.

"Tommy, you're really good! Call me impressed!" she replied.

"Hayley, meet my roommate, Xavier, and my girlfriend, Kim," he said as he turned to face his friends.

Hayley shook their hands and replied with " it's really great to meet you."

"I love your hair," Xavier said.

"Thanks, I'm really a soul stealing ginger," she joked.

"As long as you're not a boyfriend stealing one," Kim sarcastically replied.

"You'll never have to worry about that...I'm more into stealing girlfriends," Hayley answered with a wink.

Tommy thought he could hear Kim sigh almost as in relief but didn't want to start anything. He had to keep focused. This next round will then bring him to the final round. 

"Hayley, why don't you sit with us?" Xavier asked.

"Sure," she replied as Kim and Xavier made room for her to sit in between.

The announcer declared that the break was almost over and Tommy knew he had to go back. As he ran back, he heard his friends yell rather loudly, "go kick some ass!" 

The organizer even heard it as he chuckled when Tommy ran up to the table.

"You've got a fan club, apparently," the organizer joked.

"Yeah, sorry about them," Tommy replied.

"Don't be sorry. It brings excitement to our sport here, which often gets pushed aside for the team sports. You'll be competing against Scott Chan this round but you're the first match. Good luck," the organizer said.

Tommy had little time to prep as he walked over and onto the competition mat. He bowed towards Scott and then towards the judges.

He thought about Scott's matches. He was smaller, but very agile. Tommy would have to focus on using different moves to distract before hitting with an actual attack.

For whatever reason, Tommy didn't feel as confident in this round as the final buzzer sounded. He shook Scott's hand and pretty much felt like this was his match to lose.

It didn't take long for the judges to decide either.

"After much consideration, although Scott had the slight edge, it was discovered that he had stepped out of bounds that was initially missed by the referee. Due to this oversite, the scoring goes in Tommy Oliver's favor and he will be moving on to the final round," the announcer said.

"I'm sorry, this should have been yours," Tommy said as he shook Scott's hand.

"No, it's fair. I knew I stepped out but was surprised the ref missed it," Scott replied.

Because the next round was the final round, they only gave the fighters a couple of minutes to recoup some energy and prepare. Tommy looked over at his friends, who were cheering and waving like crazy. He felt his confidence come back as he stretched a bit by the mat.

"Our final round is Tommy Oliver from Angel Grove, California versus Justin Bishop from Scottsdale, Arizona," the announcer said.

Tommy had another reason for his confidence returning as he watched Justin's matches and knew it would be a little easier to beat him. 

As Tommy finished his quick shower and changed into his regular clothes, he heard a knock at the men's locker room door.

"Excuse me? Is there a champion in here? I heard someone who kicked major ass might be in there," Xavier yelled through the door.

Tommy pulled on the door to see Xavier, Kim, and Hayley standing there, with Kim holding his newly won trophy.

Kim practically almost knocked him down when she ran up to hug him.

"Impressive. Really impressive," Hayley announced.

"Let celebrate this guy by taking him to get something to eat," Xavier announced.

"That's more because you've been bitching the entire time that you're starving," Kim replied.

"That too," Xavier said.

"Sounds good," Tommy said. "You're joining us, right?" he asked as he looked at Hayley.

"Sure!" Hayley answered.

They headed off to the local diner located right outside of the campus. They found a booth towards the back. Kim sat next to Tommy and Hayley and Xavier sat across from them.

"You two are really cute together," Hayley said after the waiter came back to take their drink order.

"Thanks," Tommy replied, wondering if Kim was going to say anything as well, but she was looking off to the distance.

Xavier cleared his throat rather suspiciously, which caused Kim to turn back to the table.

"There's the champ!" a guy yelled nearby. 

Tommy turned around to see Chris and Aaron walking towards their booth.

"Mind if we sit across from you all?" Aaron asked.

"Go for it," Xavier replied. "We're here to celebrate this ass kicker over here."

"You guys, seriously?" Tommy sighed.

"That was great, man. We have the absolute privledge of sitting near a legend," Chris replied.

"Next time, I'm not telling anyone about my competitions," Tommy muttered.

"I'll find out," Hayley joked.

"We haven't introduced ourselves yet, I'm Chris and this is my brother, Aaron," Chris said as he didn't recognize Hayley.

"I'm Hayley," she replied.

"Hey, aren't you the one that fixed the Library's computer filing program?" Aaron asked.

"That's me. Whoever coded it must have been drunk because it was a mess. No wonder it never worked right," she responded.

Chris looked at Aaron, confused.

"I worked at the Library for a couple of weeks. She came in and fixed the program in like 10 minutes. It was insane," Aaron replied.

"This guy has jobs like some people have relationships, too many and they never last," Chris joked.

Kim was unusually quiet and it bothered Tommy to the point where he whispered in her ear. "You ok?"

Kim looked at him and just shook her head like she was fine.

This ate at him the entire night but he was unable to get her alone to really ask her. 

Once dinner was over and with everyone pitching in to pay for Tommy's, which he tried turning down, they all walked back to their dorms.

"Hayley, are you going to be ok going back to your dorm? Do you want me to walk with you?" Tommy asked.

Hayley started to shake her head 'no' but Kim interjected.

"Xavier can make sure I get back alright, it would be safer, Hayley. Besides, you've seen what he can do," Kim replied.

"Okay, thanks," Hayley replied and watched as Xavier and Kim turned around to walk towards their dorm.

"Kim, can I see you later?" Tommy asked.

"I don't know about you, but I'm exhausted. I'll see you tomorrow," Kim stated.

This made Tommy cringe a little inside and tried hard not to show it as they walked away.

"You know you really didn't have to do this," Hayley said as they walked together.

"I really don't mind," Tommy replied.

"I don't mean to pry but something was bothering Kim," Hayley noted.

"You noticed that too, huh?" he said.

"I'm sorry, it's none of my business but I tend to hyper focus on stuff like that," Hayley continued.

"She's been down for the most of the day but I haven't had the chance to ask her why," Tommy replied.

"Maybe she's just having a bad day," Hayley reassured.

"I hope so," he replied.

As they approached Hayley's dorm, she turned to Tommy.

"Thank you, Tommy. I hope it's not too early to say that you're a great, yet new friend," Hayley said.

Tommy smiled and replied, "You're welcome and nah, it's not too early. You're a great, new friend, too."


	8. When it Rains, it Pours

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> John and Caroline Oliver visit their son at MIT...but will the visit go as pleasant as the movies make them out to be?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel for all of the college students right now having to make difficult decisions about their schooling in this weird time. :-(
> 
> This chapter deals with the interesting parent/s visit and more. I would have posted this earlier except I added a lot more, which will explain why this chapter is a bit long. Enjoy and thank you for sticking along!

When John and Caroline Oliver arrived on campus, Tommy was all dressed and ready to go. It was something he thought was pretty ironic seeing that he was never ready in the morning in high school. Usually they would yell from the bottom of the stairs in the morning after his two alarm clocks went off simultaneously. It was a chaotic morning routine with Tommy forgetting to put away his laundry and digging through it to find some clean shorts. He would usually leave something at home and either run back to get it (luckily they lived close enough for him to walk instead of bus) or just put up with the criticism when he explained that he forgot it at home.

But this morning, he was waiting for them outside his dorm. They looked pleasantly surprised when they pulled up to the visiting parking spots in their rental.

"Excuse me, is that our son? It can't be, he's never ready!" John said as they got out of the car.

Tommy walked up to their car and gave them both a hug.

"Hey Mom, hey Dad. Welcome to MIT, how was your flight?"

"There's a reason why they call it a Red Eye, how tiring, but worth it, " his Mom replied.

"Well, come on in, I'll show you around the dorm," Tommy said, as they headed inside.

Because it was a Saturday, the dorms were pretty quiet with the exception of a few rooms listening to music. People either went home for the weekend or stayed.

"I told my roommate you were going to be here soon, so he should be presentable," Tommy joked.

Tommy opened the door and let them enter inside.

Xavier was sitting at his computer but quickly stood up.

"Mr. and Mrs. Oliver, I'm Xavier. Your son's exemplary roommate. It is so nice to meet you," he said, as he held his hand out to shake.

"Please call me John, and this is my wife, Caroline," John replied.

Tommy tried not to laugh at Xavier's use of the word 'exemplary' and the exaggerated formality.

"This is our room. We share a bathroom with the two guys next door. They seem pretty cool, but we don't really talk to them much," Tommy explained.

"I think it's the goth music that scares us from introducing ourselves," Xavier replied.

"I have someone else I want you to meet, let me go get her and have her come down," Tommy said.

"Her, huh?" John said, with his eyebrow raised.

"Yes, Dad. I'll be right back," Tommy said and left the room.

Tommy knew what his Dad was probably doing and that was inwardly critiquing. His Mom was probably glaring at him to try to keep the peace. And poor Xavier had to witness all of it. He knocked on Kim's door and waited. 

The door opened and Tommy smiled. 

"Hey Beautiful," he said.

"Hey Tommy," Kim replied.

Tommy noticed she still wasn't quite her usual self, even with the morning baring down on them. He shrugged it off as he continued.

"My parents are here. Can you come down? I'd really like them to meet you," he asked.

"Oh I don't know if I can. I'm not feeling good this morning..." Kim started but Tommy stopped her.

"Just for a few minutes. It won't be long, I promise. Please..." he begged.

She couldn't resist his enthusiasm and she replied "yes." He waited as she freshened herself up and they went down together.

"They'll just interogate you for a few minutes and then it will all be over," Tommy said as they reached his dorm room.

As they entered, Xavier was describing when they first met and how they helped get their room together.

"Mom, Dad...I want you to meet Kim," Tommy said as he stood next to her. "My girlfriend."

Kim looked over at him and then at his parents. Caroline looked happy and John looked curious.

"Girlfriend, huh? That didn't take you long, did it?" John quipped.

Caroline shot a horrified look at her husband.

"John! Don't mind him, it's nice to meet you, Kim," Caroline said.

"You have a thing for Kims don't you, son?" John said, sarcastically.

Tommy was prepared for this. He simply shrugged it off and offered bottled water to anyone interested.

"Tommy's never this nice...I'll take one," Xavier joked.

Tommy handed Xavier a water and then looked to Kim, who was looking somewhat uncomfortable. He stood next to her and leaned in to whisper in her ear.

"It's okay. You don't have to stay here," he whispered.

Kim looked over and Tommy thought he saw her eyes a little watery but she looked away too quick.

"I'm so sorry, but I have to get back up to help my roommate. It was so nice meeting you both," Kim said as she walked over to shake his parents' hands.

She walked passed Tommy without saying or acknowledging him, until he grabbed her arm carefully and pulled her back slightly. Luckily, Xavier started asking questions to Tommy's parents and didn't notice. When Kim turned around to look at Tommy, he noticed she was crying now.

"I'll walk you back to your room," Tommy said outloud to give him a reason to leave and speak to her.

Once they got in the hallway, Kim started running to the stairwell to head back up to her room. Tommy, confused, called after her and followed her up to her room.

"Kim, what's wrong?" he said, as he followed her into her dorm room.

Thankfully, Amanda went home for the weekend, so it was just Kim and Tommy.

"I can't do this...I can't meet your parents..." Kim said, in between sobs.

"What? I told you it wasn't going to be a big deal," Tommy replied.

"No it's not that...I'm leaving MIT, Tommy," Kim said.

Tommy felt like he was kicked in the face by a putty and knocked down to the ground.

"What do you mean, you're leaving MIT?" Tommy asked.

He wanted to hold her, kiss her, anything at this point but he was too much in shock.

"My Dad's getting stationed in Hawaii. He's wanting me to move there with him. He wants me to go to college there," Kim explained.

"Did you know about this before the tournament?" Tommy asked, as his intuition kicked in.

"Yes. I didn't want to hurt you or distract you. You were so happy and I was glad to see you like that," she replied.

"But not when I know that you're hurting inside. Kim, we can figure something out. We'll find a way you can stay here," he said.

Kim shook her head no and went to grab a tissue to wipe her eyes.

"It's no use, Tommy. He knows I don't have any money and won't be able to afford even the room and board here. He's sabotaging me like he did Mom to keep her there."

Tommy felt utterly defeated. Because he knew what was going to come next.

"I can't be your girlfriend anymore. It just won't work with that much distance between us and who knows where either of us end up," Kim said, as more tears appeared.

He walked over to her and held her in his arms as she cried. He was at a loss for words and wasn't sure even hugging her was helping.

"I'm so sorry, Tommy," she said.

"Me too," was all he could muster.

He stayed there for a few minutes as she regained somewhat her normal composure.

"You'd better get back down and make sure Xavier hasn't embarrassed you enough in front of your Mom and Dad," Kim said.

"Yeah, I should. When do you leave?" he asked, knowing how crass that probably sounded.

"He's letting me finish the semester and then we'll leave during holiday break. He's found a place already for us to live and he's researching schools," Kim replied.

"Let's make the most of the time then and just be with each other as much as we can. We'll end this on a good note," Tommy declared.

Kim smiled. "I'm going to miss your positivity, you know that?" 

"I'm going to miss you," Tommy replied, as he started to leave.

"Bye, Tommy," Kim said.

"Goodbye, Beautiful," he said, and walked out of the dorm.

He knew he had to regain some normalcy so that his parents wouldn't start prodding into his situation. He took a couple of deep breaths before walking back into his room.

"Do I dare ask what took you so long?" John asked as Caroline glared over at him.

"Sorry, I had to help her roommate lift something that was heavy...took longer than I thought," Tommy replied.

Xavier looked over at Tommy, confused. He knew Amanda was going home this weekend. Tommy just gave Xavier a look that screamed "we'll talk about this later." His parents didn't pick up on it or at least Tommy doesn't think they did.

"Let's see this campus we've heard so much about," John said.

Tommy agreed to take a walking tour with his parents that would hopefully keep his mind off of his soon-to-be ex-girlfriend. Just the thought made him sick to his stomach. He was used to emotional blackmail in his Ranger days but they usually could find a way out of it. There didn't seem to be a way out for this one and it just made Tommy angry inside.

"So, have you scheduled your Business Management courses for next semester?" Caroline asked while walking around campus.

"Actually, I wanted to talk to you both about that...I'm switching degrees," Tommy replied.

"What?!" John said, rather loudly.

"What happened to Business Management? I thought you wanted to open your own Karate school? You'd be so great at it," Caroline said.

Tommy found a couple of benches nearby and sat down on one, with his parents sitting at the one next to him.

"I know this is not what you wanted to hear but I really thought about it and decided that Paleontology is really what I'm interested in and would love to do," Tommy answered.

"You can't be serious...there is no money in Paleontology, Tommy...it's a figurative dead-end," John said, his voice raised a little bit louder and having stood up.

"Dad, it's not a dead-end, ok? I know what I'm doing...it's what I really want," Tommy replied, a little louder as well, standing up as well.

Caroline sat back, unable to keep the peace once it got to this point. It was best to let the two get it out of their systems. There had only been three fights like this between John and Tommy. One, when Tommy ran away in high school, because of what John thought was over a girl. Two, when Tommy ran away but this time was to his Uncle's cabin, again thought was because of a girl, maybe the same one. And three, when Tommy skipped his high school graduation because he wanted to race cars instead.

"Tommy, I'm not going to sit back without expressing my opinion as to why I think you're making a huge mistake," John declared.

"Dad, I understand that, but I'm telling you, I'm not making a mistake," Tommy said.

John looked down at Caroline, who was simply looking the other way. He looked back at his son, who's anger was apparent.

"Fine. I don't approve of it but I can't force you, regardless. I really want you to think about the choice you're making and know that you can always change your mind, even if it keeps you here longer," John said.

Tommy nodded and kept his mouth shut because his anger can lead him to say things he will probably regret. 

Caroline stood up and tried to now calm things down by asking Tommy to continue their walking tour, to which Tommy obliged.

"That's where I had my Karate tournament," he said as he pointed to the indoor arena.

"I meant to ask, did you win?" Caroline asked.

"Yeah, but just barely. I need to keep practicing. I'm going to see if they have a Karate school or academy nearby," Tommy replied.

The rest of the tour went by without any mention of their previous argument. Tommy was glad for this as his day had not gone very well. When they walked back to the dorms, his parents declared their exhaution from the day's events and travel and decided to go back to their hotel room. Their flight was early the next morning, so they said their goodbyes. After he waved goodbye from outside the dorm building, he headed over to the courtyard, where, thankfully, no one was around so he could sit in peace.

At least, he thought until he heard someone walk up behind him as he sat at a picnic table, with his head down in his arms on the table.

"Is this seat taken?" said a familiar voice.

He didn't even move as he replied, "no." As the person sat next to him, he felt a hand rub his shoulders.

"I got in a fight with my Dad when I told him I was switching degrees," he said, while his head was still buried in his arms.

"I'm sorry. It didn't help that I added more shit to the pot," Kim replied.

"He thinks I'm making a huge mistake," Tommy continued.

"You're not. He just wants you to be successful. All Dads do...some too much," she said.

"And I hate that I can't do anything to keep you here," Tommy said.

Kim wrapped her arm around him, holding him closer and put her head on his shoulder.

"You never know, we may cross paths again in the future," Kim said.

"That's the same thing my ex said and she's in Australia," Tommy replied.

Kim ignored his comment and continued trying to offer support. Tommy, however, just wanted to be alone.

"I'm going to take a walk...get some fresh air...I'll see you later," Tommy said, while raising his head up and looking out.

"Ok, just be careful. I'll see you later," Kim said, and watched him walk away.

Tommy took an aimless walk on campus and hated being alone in his thoughts. They were leading him into a dark area he didn't want to explore further. He wanted to talk to someone to get his feelings out.

He looked around and recognized he was near Hayley's dorm. He stepped into the lobby and asked the attendant if they could page her.

"She said she'll be right down," the attendant said.

"Thanks," Tommy replied and sat on one of the chairs in the waiting area.

"Tommy? What's going on?" Hayley said as she appeared from the nearby stairwell.

"Are you busy? I just need someone to talk to," he replied and his voice gave it away that something was wrong.

"Yeah, come on up. It's just me this weekend," she said and had Tommy follow her upstairs to her 2nd floor dorm. "It's a mess, sorry."

Tommy walked in and as soon as she closed the door, he started to break down.

Hayley noticed this and led him to their small couch.

"She's moving to Hawaii. Her Dad is taking her out of MIT," was all Tommy could say, with his head in his hands.

"Geez, that's awful," Hayley replied and placed her hand on his back, consoling him as much as she could.

"And I can't do a fucking thing about it. Like every fucking relationship I've had. 'Sorry, Tommy, gotta go. Sucks to be you,'" he said and broke down completely.

Hayley wrapped her arms around Tommy and held him while he cried. She thought back to a few relationships in her past that went sour and she could do nothing about it. It made her understand somewhat how he was feeling now.

"I'm sorry, Tommy," she replied.

"No, I'm sorry...I shouldn't drag you through my bullshit," he said after calming down a little.

"No, don't be. I'm here for you, Tommy. You should never have to be alone with something like this," Hayley said.

He rested his head on her shoulder and sighed, knowing he looked like an absolute mess, but she was right. He needed this.

"That's what friends, I mean new friends are for, right?" Tommy joked slightly.

"There he is," Hayley joked back as she stood up to grab a tissue from her desk and handed it to him.

"I don't look so bad ass now, do I?" he said as he wiped his eyes.

"You look human, Mr. Oliver," Hayley replied.

"Thanks, Ms. Ziktor," Tommy said.

"Let's help get our minds off of this and watch a movie," Hayley said as she walked over to her computer.

"Sure, you pick. Just no romantic films okay?" he replied.

Hayley laughed and acted dejected. "How did you know I was going to put one on? Just kidding, I'm putting the new 007 movie on, Tomorrow Never Dies."

"That movie comes out in December, doesn't it? How can we watch it?" Tommy remarked.

"You need to stop doubting my skills, Thomas," she replied as the movie started on her larger than normal computer screen.

"You're right. I need to just trust you with these things," he replied.

Hayley grinned as she sat down next to him and patted him on the back. Tommy sat back and did his best to forget about Kim, at least for a while. They sat and watched the movie together. Once it was over, Tommy stood up to stretch his legs.

"Thank you, Hayley. I needed this," he said.

"Any time, Tommy...and I mean that from the bottom of my heart," she replied as she walked up to him and gave him a hug.

As he walked towards the door, he turned around and smiled before turning back to leave.

"Bye Hayley," he said.

"Bye Tommy," she replied.

Tommy headed back to his dorm with a much clearer head. He didn't want to always rely on fate but there had to be reasons why these things just didn't work out. Whatever reasons that may be, Tommy didn't want to necessarily know. All he knew was he had much more to focus on now and that was his Doctorate and to prove to everyone that he'll succeed.

The next morning felt like a hangover, but on the more violent side. A headache woke Tommy up a little later than normal. As he carefully climbed down his loft bed, Xavier came out of the bathroom.

"Hey, morning," Xavier said.

"Morning," Tommy replied, looking through his desk drawer for aspirin.

"I just wanted to say that I'm sorry about Kim leaving," Xavier said.

Tommy nodded as he took two aspirins after grabbing a water bottle on his desk.

"She told you during the tournament, didn't she?" Tommy asked.

Xavier shook his head yes and sat down at his desk, but turned to face Tommy.

"She asked when it would be a good time to tell you because she was afraid of how it would hurt you. I didn't know it was going to be when she met your parents," Xavier said.

Tommy sat down at his desk and faced Xavier.

"I had a good talk with Hayley about it. I'm ok now. It sucks, but I've gotta keep moving. I've been doing that pretty much all of my life," Tommy replied.

There was a knock at the door and Xavier jumped up to get it. A familar "hey" rang through Tommy's ears. After Xavier stepped aside, Kim walked through as Tommy looked up to see.

"Get dressed, we're going out," Kim declared.

He almost wanted to decline, especially since his head was pounding, but knew he wanted to spend as much time as he could before she had to leave. He slowly stood up as Kim walked over to him and wrapped her arms around him.

"Where are we going?" he asked.

"It's a surprise," Kim replied.

"I'm going to the center of campus for some good food, I'll see you two later," Xavier said.

"Later," Tommy said, as Xavier left the room.

Kim took the newly found privacy and walked up to Tommy, moving her knee slightly to get him to move so she could sit on his lap.

"I didn't see you this morning," she said.

"I know, I just woke up with an splitting headache," he replied.

"I'm sorry, we don't have to go out then," she said and started to get up.

Tommy tugged at her waist to stay sitting with him. "I want to go out with you."

"You do?" she asked, coyly.

Tommy couldn't help but run his hands slightly up her waist.

As her watermelon lip balmed lips came close to his, Tommy felt his heart skip but hurt at the same time.

"We don't have to go right away," she said, between kisses.

He knew this was going to continue to make this harder for him to say goodbye, but being with her helped him feel truly loved.

Tommy took a deep breath before slowly taking off her shirt.

\-----------------

After Tommy made the futon look like it did before they threw everything off of it, he watched as Kim got dressed.

"You're so beautiful," he said.

"You're too sweet...and handsome," she replied.

"So, where is this surprise? Is it far away?" Tommy asked.

"I'm only going to give you a small hint, it's about 10 minutes away and I think you'll really like it," Kim answered.

They walked to the nearby bus station and waited for the correct bus. As the bus stopped at the stop Kim said was theirs, Tommy read the building's sign.

"Harvard Museum of Natural History," he read outloud.

"Surprise," she said as they got off the bus. "Since you're going into paleontology, I thought you'd like to check out one of the best museums Massachusetts has to offer."

Kim reached out for Tommy's hand and they walked together inside.

"Next date, I'm surprising you somewhere that you'll love," he said as they reached the ticket counter.

"I don't think you could surprise me with a trip to Italy," she stated.

"You never know," Tommy replied with a wink.

Tommy tried to pay for their tickets, but Kim was faster getting the money to the attendant.

"You're not paying for my surprise date, you poop," she said.

"Fine, but at least let me get lunch," he stated.

"Sure," Kim said and laughed.

The museum and the aspirin hit Tommy's head in a wave of calm as they checked out all of the exhibits. 

They decided to grab a couple of coffees and sit in the small cafe inside the museum.

"So, what was Kimberly like? Was she a pain in the ass like me?" Kim asked.

"No one is worse than you...ow...I'm joking," Tommy said as he took a small punch to the arm for having said that. "She was great. She helped me to see the light in things, especially when things were looking pretty dark. I always knew she could cheer me up no matter what was going on around us. She had my back in battle and I had hers."

"What happened to you two?" Kim wondered as she took a sip of her coffee.

"Long story, short, she moved to Florida to train for the Pan American games as a gymnast. She was awesome at it. We tried the long distance thing but then one day I received a letter from her saying she had found someone else," he explained.

"Tommy, that's awful. Would you ever take her back?" Kim asked.

"Honestly, I have no idea. Part of me is really pissed off because of what we had been through and how quickly that was cut off. But then the other part of me would jump right back into it like nothing happened," Tommy replied.

"I had an ex like that, Darren. We grew up in the same neighborhood and we started as friends but then grew from there. He said me going to college here was fine and nothing would be different. It was his new quote girlfriend end quote who wrote to me though because he didn't have the balls to tell me. I still haven't talked to him since that happened," Kim said.

"It's so easy to fall in love, but it seems much harder to fall out of it," Tommy replied.

"Amen," Kim said and held her coffee out for him to pretend to tap it in cheers.

"Tommy, promise me something," she said.

"Depends," he said with a wink.

"Don't be afraid to love again. You're a wonderful guy and whoever has the chance to experience that will be very grateful for it," she said with a genuine smile.

"I promise. You promise me that you will find someone who love you like I did," he replied.

"Deal," Kim said.

"Let's go look at the bones over there as that is what I'll be dealing with from now on," he said and grabbed her hand.

Kim followed Tommy, who was acting a little giddy but not that she complained. It was always nice to see him so full of life.


	9. It is Snowbodies Business

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tommy spends his winter/holiday break back in Angel Grove, where the warm weather and memories give him a much needed reset.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Today's date is forever remembered as one of sadness. We remember where we were almost as if it were yesterday. I'm thinking about the families and friends of those who will never be forgotten. 
> 
> On a MMPR note: I caved and bought the new Zeo Ranger 5 Red action figure and had so much fun yelling out that role call all throughout Target, totally embarrassing my son. "Zeo Ranger 5...Red!" The figure is pretty sweet though...ngl. It feels weird decapitating Tommy every time to change his head piece from helmet to non-helmet.

Winter started to rear it's really ugly head in Massachusettes as the winter/holiday break started, and that made going back to Angel Grove all that more welcoming. While on the plane, Tommy thought about time he had with Kim before she had to move to Hawaii. He couldn't resist her and that made her leaving so hard for him to deal with.

"I can't do this," Tommy said as they sat in the courtyard outside.

"I can't either but I don't have a choice," Kim replied.

"I know. I just really fucking hurts," he said as he stood up.

"Tommy, please don't go," Kim replied.

"I'm really going to miss you," he said as he turned back.

"I will too, don't you ever forget that," she replied.

Tommy stepped off the plane and went down to the luggage corral to pick up his suitcase. Two weeks at home will hopefully bring some clarity to him to help him officially move on. He headed towards the exit and saw his Dad standing there, with open arms.

"Tommy, welcome home!" he announced as Tommy approached and gave him a hug.

"Glad to be home. The snow is unbearable there," he replied.

"I bet. Mom can't wait to see you," his Dad said.

Tommy looked at all the familiar landscapes with a glimmer of nostalgia as if he had been gone for years but it had only been a few months. He wondered if he would run into any of his friends that still lived in Angel Grove.

His family home looked exactly the same, with the exception of an extra birdfeeder hanging off the branch of the big tree in the front yard. As he stepped inside, his Dad announced that Tommy was home. He could hear his Mom set something down and walk into the foyer to greet him.

"Tommy, I don't know what it is but you look so much older already," his Mom said as she gave him a hug.

"I guess I'm maturing," Tommy joked, while his Dad brought in his suitcase.

Tommy went upstairs and into his bedroom. Everything was just as he left it when he left. He walked over to the mirror, which had pictures stuck all along the sides. He took a quick glance at himself before he sat down on his bed. There was a knock at the door.

"Tommy? It's me, can I come in for a minute?" his Dad asked.

"Sure," Tommy replied.

John Oliver walked into his son's room and sat down on the chair in front of the desk nearby.

"I wanted to apologize to you," John said.

"Apologize for what?" Tommy asked.

"Apologize for our last less than comforting discussion about your chosen degree. I didn't respect your decision into your new career choice. I overreacted and I'm sorry for that," John replied.

"It's okay, Dad. I changed it rather abruptly anyway, but I really know that this is the direction I want to be headed in. I know I can make a difference," Tommy explained.

"I know you will. You do that in whatever you do. I also wanted to apologize for how I treated you about your new girlfriend. I have no right to criticize your relationships," John said.

Tommy sighed as he knew this would come up at some point in this trip. 

"It's over anyways, Dad. She had to move to Hawaii with her Dad," Tommy replied.

"I'm sorry to hear that. She seemed really nice," John said.

"Yeah. Just my luck, I guess," Tommy declared.

John stood up. "It'll get better. That's how I met your Mom, when I thought I was unlucky too."

He left Tommy to finish unpacking. He couldn't help it but he thought more about Kim.

"You don't need to get me anything," Kim said as she held the small wrapped present in her hands.

"I don't but I did," Tommy replied. "Go ahead, open it."

Kim carefully tore open the wrapping paper to uncover a small jewelery box. She opened it to see a small silver necklace with a cute watermelon charm.

"This is beautiful, Tommy. Thank you," she said as she held in between her fingers and played with the charm.

"That's what I remember when we first kissed. Your watermelon lip balm," he replied.

"I go through tubes of that stuff," she replied. "Can you help me?"

Tommy stood up and moved the hair softly away from her neck. Kim handed him the necklace and he put it on her. He walked back around to admire it on her. She peered into the mirror to look at it.

"It's perfect," she replied and walked over to her desk and opened the drawer. She took out a small wrapped box as well.

"Here," she said as she handed him the box.

"Kim," he said as he pouted his lips.

"Don't 'Kim' me, just open it," she replied.

Tommy unwrapped the box and opened it to find a nice black watch inside. There was a black and gold dinosaur three-toed footprint on the face of the watch.

"It's so you stop asking everyone what time it is, especially when you forget your cell phone," Kim joked.

"It's perfect, thank you," he said as he put it on his wrist. He walked over to her and gave her a long kiss.

Tommy heard his Mom call upstairs for him to come down for dinner. Just like old times...

"So you think you can complete this doctorate program in six years, huh?" his Dad asked, while they sat at the table and ate dinner.

"Absolutely, part of that includes interning with an established Paleontologist and if it works out, they can hire you as you finish up the program and graduate with a job already in place," Tommy replied.

"That sounds really great, Tommy. I have no doubt you'll do really well," John replied.

After dinner, Tommy went back up to his room to relax. He had an idea of what he wanted to do the next day, and that was to stop by Karate Academy to see some of the instructors and possibly work with them. 

Before he went to bed, he checked with his Mom to see if he could borrow the computer, to which she said that would be fine. He logged onto his email and on IM just curious to see if any of his friends were on. A message window popped up.

**watermelonkisses79:** hey Tommy

Tommy sat there for a minute but realized that even if it was hard for him, he still should talk to her. He played with his watch before he replied.

**karate_dragon:** hey kim, did you get to hawaii ok?  
**watermelonkisses79:** yeah the weather here is gorgeous. i can see why you californians love your weather so much  
**karate_dragon:** it is nice. i just dodged another horrible snowstorm on my way back home for break.  
**watermelonkisses79:** you're home for break? that's nice. you're only 5 and half hours away from me.  
**karate_dragon:** i wish i could just jump on the next flight, don't tempt me.  
**watermelonkisses79:** it wouldn't work out, we both know that.  
**karate_dragon:** i know. i gotta go. i'm glad you made it there safely.  
**watermelonkisses79:** goodbye Tommy  
**karate_dragon:** goodbye kim

Tommy signed off of IM to stay true to his word, but he didn't really need to go. He spent the next few minutes checking his email.

_"Tommy,_

_I know this could have waited until after Holiday Break but I wanted to let you know about this excellent opportunity. As you're aware, about a year from now, you'll be able to begin the Internship with an established Paleontologist while you continue your studies at MIT. Because I believe in your passion for the program, I gave your information to Dr. Anton Mercer, a very well-known and established Paleontologist. He sponsors and financially backs a lot of our University's digs and research. He has agreed to conduct an Internship interview with you to lock you into his Internship program early as his spaces are usually the first to be filled. His office will be contacting you sometime in January to set up your interview. I will be available to help you with valuable interview questions and tips to help you earn acceptance into his Internship program. Enjoy your Holiday Break!_

_Sincerely,_

_Dr. Jennifer Easton"_

Tommy's heart was beating a mile a minute. This was an opportunity that was too good to pass up and knew he would have to work really hard to earn and keep it. He ran downstairs to tell his parents the great news.

"I got an Internship interview with one of the top Paleontologists in the country!" he announced as they sat in the family room.

"That is great, Tommy!" his mom replied, stood up, and walked over to give Tommy a hug.

The next morning, Tommy woke up around his normal early time and went downstairs to make some coffee.

"There's a stranger in my kitchen. My son is never awake this early," his Mom announced as he walked in the kitchen.

"It is different, isn't it?" he replied as he walked over to the coffee maker.

"I made some already, help yourself," his Mom said. "Dad told me about Kim. I'm so sorry," she said, as she sat down at the kitchen table.

Tommy poured himself some coffee, added some sugar and cream, and sat down at the table across from his Mom.

"Thanks. It just sucks because I get close to someone and they leave," he replied before taking a drink.

"I never told you but I had a fiancé before I met your Dad and he had to move away," his Mom started.

"What happened?" Tommy asked.

"He was in the Army and found out he was being stationed in Vietnam. I told him that we could wait it out and marry after that but he refused. I loved him with all of my heart and couldn't understand why he was so quick to end it. A few years later, I heard that he had fallen in love with a beautiful Vietnamese woman and he had 3 children with her," she explained.

"That hurts," Tommy replied.

"It did but then I would not have met your father. Things happen for very specific reasons and it may hurt initially but it works itself out in the end," she said.

"Thanks, Mom," Tommy said as he finished his coffee. "I'm going to head over to the Academy and catch up with the instructors there."

"Enjoy, you know when dinner is, especially with that new watch, I've noticed," his Mom replied.

"It was a breakup gift," he said and looked down at it.

"You know she cared and that's all that matters," she replied.

As Tommy headed to the Karate Academy, he thought back to when he and Kim went to the park to enjoy an outdoor movie.

"My Dad emailed me pics of the new house. It's near the coast and it's really small but he said I would have my own bedroom," Kim explained.

"That's the least he could do," Tommy replied.

"Tommy," Kim started.

"Sorry, I can't help it," he said and wrapped his arm around her as they sat on the blanket on the grass.

"I found out, though, that they have a wonderful music program at the University that I'm transferring to. Maybe I can convince my Dad that that's what I really want to study," Kim explained.

"You're strong willed, you'll find a way," he replied.

"I hope so," she said.

"Tommy Oliver, back from college and smarter than everyone here," joked his old instructor at the Karate Academy.

"Ha, let's not go too far here," Tommy replied as he bowed to him and then they shook hands.

"What can I do for you?" his instructor asked.

"I need a refresher course. I feel a little rusty," he answered.

"You're in luck because I don't have a class for a couple of hours," his instructor replied.

Tommy followed the instructor to a quiet corner and waved at a few students he recognized when he went there.

After a good hour and a half of working with his former instructor, Tommy felt more confident in his ways.

"I know an instructor in Boston, I'll give you his information and you can work with him," his instructor said as they approached the main entrance.

"Thank you so much, it was great seeing you," Tommy said and shook his instructor's hand.

"It was great seeing you too, Tommy. Keep practicing. You keep that up and you could be an eighth degree belt," his instructor replied.

"We'll see about that," Tommy said and then left.

He walked back towards home, looking fondly at the Youth Center as he walked past. He contemplated going there, but realized that the only one that could possibly still be there that would know him was Lieutenant Stone, who bought it from Ernie. He thought through all of his memories in that building as he made it back home.

"You know, you could have borrowed my car," John said, who was standing out near the garage.

"I didn't even think about it. I'm so used to having to walk where ever I go," Tommy answered.

"Oh by the way, one of your old friends stopped by...Zack, I think his name was," John said.

"Zack stopped by?" Tommy asked.

"Yeah, he left his contact info with your mom. He said he was in town for a couple of days and just took a chance to see if you were still in town. Hope that was okay that we told him you were in town for the holiday break," John said.

"Absolutely, thanks Dad," Tommy said and headed inside.

Tommy found the scrap paper with Zack's phone number on it and didn't hesitate to call.

"Hello?" said Zack's voice on the other end.

"I need to speak to the man who's deathly afraid of spiders, please," Tommy replied.

"Tommy! Hey, what's up? It's been forever!" Zack replied.

"Hey Zack, it's great to hear from you! Heard you're in town for a few days, what have you been up to?" Tommy asked.

"Once the Peace Conference was over, I came home but man, I was so bored. I decided to open my first Hip Hop Kido dance studio in New York. I've got three studios now," Zack said with pride.

"That's great, man. I'm proud of you," Tommy replied.

"Thanks. Hey, I've got an afternoon free tomorrow before I leave back to New York. Want to meet up at the park like old times?" Zack asked.

Tommy agreed and finished up the call. It was nice speaking to one of his former Ranger friends, especially one who has been able to move on from their duties saving the world with ease, or so Tommy thought.

The next day, Tommy practiced a few moves he learned from his instructor outside before heading inside to shower and change. 

As he approached the same set of picnic tables that haven't moved since his family first moved to Angel Grove, Zack stood up from one of its benches with a huge smile on my face.

"And early? This can't be the Tommy that I know that was almost late to every class except for the ones Kimberly was in," Zack said as he approached Tommy.

Tommy smiled back as they went in for a hug.

"It feels like decades, man. How's it going?" Tommy asked as they sat down at one of the tables.

"It has been a few years. I've been everywhere and anywhere but now I'm hustling in New York, trying to get my fourth studio up and running. How about you? Heard from the grapevine that you're at MIT...that's some studious shit right there," Zack replied.

"You're looking at the studious one. Gonna try my hand at Paleontology," Tommy answered.

"I thought you'd have chosen a path with something to do with Karate. Wow, you've gone rogue," Zack joked.

"I see you haven't lost your sense of humor...I was worried," Tommy replied, sarcastically.

"Fear not, that I will never lose. I can't keep a girlfriend but I can make them laugh on their way out," Zack announced.

"You, at least, have that going for you. I can't keep 'em or make 'em laugh," Tommy said.

"Maybe we're both in the wrong careers...we should look into creating a dating website for nice guys who may or may not be able to make the girls laugh," Zack joked.

Tommy laughed and it felt great to hang out with Zack again.


	10. Interview with a Dinoman

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tommy finally has his big interview with Dr. Anton Mercer, a man who Tommy believes can help boost his upcoming career in more ways than one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a wee bit shorter than most. It's nothing personal...it's me, not you. Anyway, enjoy! 
> 
> p.s. I'm semi-keeping up on the Boom! comics and I'm seriously thinking the new Green Ranger is obvious (I won't spoil it, just in case so I will be very vague) but if it is him...I'm expecting plenty of ex versus current bf angst over her because my stupid anxious heart lives for it. I was all about the movie, Labyrinth, growing up and the Goblin King's love for Sarah and how I rooted for her to stay there...lol. That movie might also explain my love for men in spandex pants. *wink*

The new semester began as the snow continued to fall, causing Tommy to really start to doubt being so far away from the West Coast.

"At least you don't have a car to dig out of the south lot every time your parents want you home for the weekend," Xavier stated.

"True, I'll give you that," Tommy replied.

As Tommy finished going over his interview notes, he couldn't help but think about this possible opportunity.

Xavier held some index cards in his hands and waited for Tommy to signal he was ready.

"Ok, let's try this," Tommy replied.

"Hello, Tommy..." Xavier started in a professional voice.

"Thomas...I'm going to go by Thomas," Tommy interrupted.

"Sorry, Hello, Thomas. Tell me why you're interested in interning with me, Dr. Anton Mercer?" Xavier stated.

"I don't think he would be saying his name like that," Tommy replied.

"I'm trying, ok? Just play along," Xavier sighed.

"You're right, you're doing great. Ok...Well, Dr. Mercer, I know that I will bring dedication to this opportunity, as I have with everything I have encountered," Tommy replied.

"Describe to me what it means to be dedicated, Thomas?" Xavier asked.

"Ooh, that's a good one, Xavier...Oh, sorry. Yes, dedication is putting yourself fully in front of something and giving it everything you can. I know I can and will do that."

"You've got this, Tommy," Xavier declared.

"Damn, I hope so. I haven't eaten in like three days," Tommy replied.

"Regardless of what happens, this isn't the end...just the beginning for you...Thomas," Xavier said as he handed Tommy back his interview flash cards.

"Thanks," Tommy replied.

The next morning, he followed the instructions he received in the email from Dr. Mercer's administrative assistant to take the bus to the Harvard Museum of Natural History, which was about 10 minutes from campus and was already familiar with, thanks to Kim. He wore the only suit he owned, which was a dark green but had it tailored a little since the style was slightly outdated...at his Mom's suggestion. He notified the front desk that he was there to meet with Dr. Anton Mercer and they recognized this right away. It impressed him with the clout this man has in this "world."

"Right this way," a woman said to Tommy as he looked around in the lobby.

He followed her to the back offices and was sent into a conference room to wait. After a couple of minutes, the man he assumed to be Dr. Mercer walked in.

"Thomas, I presume. Dr. Mercer, but please call me Anton," he said as he shook Tommy's hand.

"Anton, thank you so much for taking the time to meet with me," Tommy replied.

"This is one of the fun parts of my job where I get to meet with people who are passionate about paleontology and are genuinely excited to be here. Have a seat. I promise you this won't take long," Anton said.

Tommy concentrated on not acting too nervous as he sat down, reminding himself to maintain eye contact and stop fidgeting.

"Dr. Easton has praised your work so far and has mentioned each time that I talk to her about the promise she sees in you. Why do you think that is?" Anton asked.

Tommy's eyes widened slightly before gathering his thoughts to have a good response. She said she would help him, but he didn't realize that this would be one of the ways.

"I wish I could thank her in person for that. I'm genuinely excited for this opportunity in this area of expertise and wish to make a true difference," he replied.

"In your opinion, how do you think a world of dead creatures and fossils could make a difference?" Anton asked.

Tommy felt his throat drying out, but pushed that aside to answer.

"There is so much to discover out there that it would be foolish to assume that we've uncovered everything. Just because fossil fuels have already been discovered, doesn't mean that updated energies do not exist buried below," Tommy replied.

"I like the way you think, Thomas. It's not just about bones, it's about possibilities. My goal is to find better ways to provide energy, fuel, what have you. We know it's there, we just need to find it," Anton said, with a grin.

Anton asked a few questions about Tommy's past activities and goals that further help to show him that he would be a great fit, or at least in Tommy's eyes, he would be.

"Any questions before we end this interview?" Anton asked.

"No, thank you," Tommy replied.

"Great. Because you're one of my first interviews for the internship, you'll be waiting the longest for a decision. However, you will be one of the first to find out as soon as we decide. Thank you, Thomas, for a great interview," Anton said and shook Tommy's hand.

As Tommy headed out of the museum, he couldn't help but take a deep breath and stare up at the sky. The air was as clear as his head and as bright as his outlook.

"So... you hired or what?" Xavier said as soon as Tommy stepped into their dorm.

Tommy laughed as he sat down at his desk.

"I won't know until much further down the road, but he seemed really positive about it," Tommy replied.

"That's good. Now, let's go downstairs and eat. I'm sure you're starving," Xavier said as he grabbed his wallet and keys.

"Good idea. I'm going to skip the smoothie station today. I need food food," Tommy joked. "But, can I get out of this suit first? I feel like I'm suffocating in it."

Xavier laughed before he replied, "But I thought you were taking me on a date."

Tommy grabbed a pair of jeans and a long sleeved green shirt and changed in the bathroom.

"I talked to Kim today. She wanted to know how you were doing. I hope it's okay that I told her about your big interview today," Xavier said through the door.

Tommy straightened out his sleeves as he looked at himself in the mirror. He fixed his hair that was already in a ponytail.

"Yeah, it's fine. I haven't been online much lately," Tommy replied as he opened the bathroom door.

"She said she really misses you," Xavier replied.

"I miss her too," Tommy replied, looking for his wallet and keys.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have even mentioned it," Xavier said.

"No, it's ok. I just keep moving on," Tommy replied.

"Let's go eat the pain away. Amanda is done with me too, I guess," Xavier declared as the headed down to the cafeteria.

"Man, I'm sorry," Tommy replied.

"It's alright. Just like you say, keep moving on," Xavier said as they walked in the cafeteria.


	11. Chicken Soup for the (Former) Power Ranger's Soul

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tommy remembered an offer made to him that will help him continue his discovery of what is bringing him back to the world he thought he had walked away from.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took a bit...I'm sorry! Life is a fun balance sometimes, isn't it? For those of you like my son who are doing remote online schooling...I want to give you all hugs! What you're doing right now is stressful, frustrating, and all new. But know this, we're all thinking about you and send our support! You've got this!
> 
> On a Ranger note: the Power Rangers #1 preview made me generously thank the artists who continue to give Tommy those cute lil errant strands of hair that frame his face, especially when it's in his pony. I'll say it again...thank you. 
> 
> On a side me note: be sure to check out my episodic series of MMPR stories called: Six Working Together to Fight Evil. If you have already, thank you! If you haven't, welcome aboard!

Tommy's classes were starting to blur together as he was taking more and more classes about dinosaurs and prehistoric ecosystems. Not that he didn't mind. It was better than Trigonometry or Advanced Philosophy.

He was spending some down time in his dorm while Xavier was at one of his computer classes. He was just aimlessly surfing on the internet when a notification went off that he had a new email from Billy.

_"Tommy,_

__

__

_I know you're only able to do so much where you're at but I have some more information about those signatures you found earlier. However, I'm concerned of those that can see. Do you have a way to reach out to me without those "eyes?" Let me know._

_From,  
Billy"_

Tommy didn't think twice of who he could ask for help but realized what he had to do. He will need to tell Hayley about his past. Of course, explaining to Hayley that he's emailing a former Power Ranger that lives on another planet doesn't come out so smooth. Just like with Kim, he's afraid of how Hayley will react. 

Rather than come unannounced, Tommy decided to call her.

"Hey Hayley, it's Tommy. How's it going?" he asked.

"Horrible...just kidding, I'm good. What's up?" Hayley asked.

"I wanted to see if your offer still stands on the super secret spy computer?" Tommy wondered.

Hayley paused on the other end, which made Tommy a little nervous.

"You still there?" he asked.

"I just wanted it to feel extra spy movie-ish with a long, dramatic pause...sure, come on over," she joked.

Tommy laughed before saying he'd be over there in a few. He dug into his suitcase and found his photo album as the proof he'll probably need to help break the interesting news.

Tommy waited downstairs in Hayley's dorm with the photo album in his hand.

"Ooh, did you bring me baby photos?" Hayley asked as she came out from the stairs.

"Ha ha, you wish. Thanks for letting me stop by," Tommy replied.

"Something tells me that I should never let you down," Hayley replied.

"Oh yeah? Why's that?" Tommy genuinely wondered as they headed up to her dorm.

"I don't know. Gut feeling," was all Hayley said.

Tommy and Hayley walked into her dorm and Tommy was taken back by more computer equipment than before.

"You like it? I got an upgrade over the holiday break. My parents are finally seeing my vision and their monetary donations are helping me to fufill it," Hayley explained.

"Nice. Look, there's a huge reason why I need to use your computer and I'm hoping what I tell you won't scare you away," Tommy said as he sat down on the couch near Hayley's computer.

Hayley sat down at her computer desk chair and wheeled around to face Tommy at the couch. She crossed her arms and sighed.

"Listen, if you're a serial killer and you're trying to communicate with your victims before you off them...then I obviously can't be a part of that...or am I your next victim?" Hayley said, matter-of-factly.

"No, no. It's nothing like that. Remember a while back before my karate tournament I told you that I was emailing a friend who was very far away?" Tommy asked.

"Yeah, I don't forget those details," Hayley replied.

"I knew you wouldn't. Okay, so I need to talk to him with your computer because he kinda lives off planet and he has some information about something we're working on," Tommy replied.

"Off planet? So are you communicating with aliens, Thomas?" Hayley half joked.

"Well, he's not but he's on an alien planet," Tommy replied, trying to look as honest as possible.

"Ok, I get that I'm pretty nerdy and stuff, but we don't need to take it to this mocking level," Hayley huffed, turning slightly away in her chair.

"I'm not mocking you, I promise. Here, look at these," Tommy said and handed her his photo album.

Hayley reluctantly took the album from his hand and opened it up to the first picture. Her eyes flashed from the photo back to Tommy then back to the photo. She continued flipping through the photos, not saying a word.

"My friend, Billy, was the Blue Ranger. He lives on Aquitar, a planet far away from here. He's helping me with something that could be another Ranger power source we haven't discovered and harnessed yet," Tommy explained as he watched her look through the album.

"Why do you trust me with all of this, Tommy?" Hayley muttered, almost to herself.

"Like you said, gut feeling. I know you can and would help me," Tommy replied.

Hayley closed the album, handed it back to Tommy...all without any emotion.

"I knew something was up with you. I couldn't quite put my finger on it. I tried digging through your records, which is horrible, I know, but I wanted to know more. There was nothing about that," Hayley said.

Tommy gave a slight smile and noticed Hayley gave one too.

"I wanna meet this Billy. If he's living on another planet, he's probably smarter than all of us," Hayley joked.

"Move over. I'll send him a quick email to let him know that I'm using a safe computer," Tommy said and waited for Hayley to free up her desk chair.

He signed into his email and sent Billy a short reply..

"Billy,

I was able to find a secured computer. I'm ready whenever you are.

Tommy"

Hayley and Tommy waited until a strange window popped up on the screen. Once it fully opened up, Billy's face appeared on the screen.

"This is terrific encryption. I almost couldn't get through," Billy said.

Tommy smiled as he saw his old friend on screen. He looked over at Hayley, whose mouth was gaped open in surprise.

"Billy, long time, no see...this is my best friend, Hayley. She's the one who got all of this computer stuff figured out...unlike me," Tommy said.

"Tommy, you've made strides by sending emails. I can't knock you down too far," Billy joked. "Hayley, nice to meet you. I'm sorry this can't be in person as I'm rather far away. One of these days I need to find a ride back and visit."

"Nice to meet you too, Billy," Hayley replied, still shocked.

"So what's this info you have for me?" Tommy asked.

"It's definitely a morphing signature. The strength of it is unbelievable. I had a few Aquitarian scientists examine it and there are at least 3 strong sub signatures, a couple are a little less," Billy explained.

"We're possibly looking at a smaller Ranger group," Tommy said.

"It's possible, it is a small group of Morphing technology that could use the Grid. It's going to take years to find, however, based on the location but it can be uncovered," Billy said.

Tommy looked over at Hayley, who looked like she was taking all of this in.

"Good news is I might have snagged an internship with Dr. Anton Mercer. With his backing, I may be able to convince him to concentrate on digging on that island and we could find it. Could you imagine if we harness this power? We could use it for great things," Tommy said.

"I congratulate you on the possible internship. The Earth can use more protection and you'd be the man to help make that happen," Billy replied.

"Thanks, Billy. I appreciate that," Tommy said.

"Listen, Cestria is demanding I join her for an evening swim and if I don't, I could only see a horrible outcome of sleeping on the Aquitar's equivalent of an Earth's couch. Tommy, it was great talking to you. I hope we can do this again soon," Billy said.

"It was great talking to you too. Thank you for your help," Tommy replied.

Billy looked over at Hayley. "Thank you, Hayley. Tommy wouldn't get anywhere if it wasn't for your help."

"You're welcome. It was great to meet you," Hayley said.

Billy smiled and his pop up window closed out. Tommy turned to Hayley, who was still staring at the computer screen.

"So...how can I help?" Hayley said.

As soon as she said that, an email from Billy popped up on the screen. Tommy read the subject and then stood up.

"Here, this is for you," Tommy said and waved his hand over the chair for Hayley to sit.

Hayley sat down and read the subject on the screen. 

"For Hayley, Information on the Morphing Grid and Morpher Technology"

She clapped her hands together once she opened the rather large email. 

"Study that and we'll go from there," Tommy said as he grabbed his album, preparing to leave.

"Tommy, thank you," Hayley said.

"For what?" he asked.

"For calling me your best friend and trusting me with all of this. I'm honored and I want to help you in any way that I can, especially knowing it could save the world," she replied.

Tommy smiled before replying. "I mean it. And not just because of your computer skills...but because you've been a really great friend. I'll see you later."

Hayley waved goodbye before gluing her eyes to her computer screen to start reading. Tommy walked out of her dorm, carefully shutting the door. 

Although the direction he was going in was to his dorm, he knew he was also heading in a direction that was pulling him back to the Ranger life. Months ago, he would have hated it but now he realized what good he could do and still be happy in his career.


	12. Year Two: Everything New

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tommy's living situation is going to change but he's not sure how with Xavier moving to Washington, DC. He also wants to give his roommate the best sendoff he and his friends can.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhhh! I realized how long I went between chapters! So sorry to keep y'all waiting! Thank you all for staying with it and I hope you like it!
> 
> On a Ranger Comic note: (possible spoilers)
> 
> Who is the new Green Ranger? SUSPENSE! 
> 
> Tommy getting pissy jealous when meeting Matt, Kim's ex? Awesome sauce right thurr!
> 
> I like that Skull had a girlfriend....until...ugh. Oh well, it was nice while it lasted and how he stuck up for her? b.e.a.u.t.i.f.u.l!

The classes were really starting to pile up the work, but Tommy was prepared for this. He had help, of course, as Xavier programed an online organizer for him.

"This is perfect, I can't thank you enough," Tommy replied.

"Call it a going away present," Xavier said.

"I hate that you're moving, but I get it. If Washington, DC called me with a college technology internship possibility, I'd be going too in a heartbeat," Tommy said.

"Have you thought about staying here with a new roommate or going somewhere else?" Xavier asked.

"I don't really know yet. Part of me is willing to put up with someone new here and part of me is saying to go somewhere else. It was hard enough putting up with you," Tommy joked.

Xavier threw a pencil at Tommy's shoulder as Tommy laughed.

"I'm going to keep in touch. You're a great friend," Tommy replied in all seriousness.

"You too. Couldn't ask for a better roommate and friend," Xavier replied and slapped Tommy's hand.

"Let's dine like college kings downstairs," Xavier announce.

"You forget where we're eating at," Tommy joked.

"I know, but it's better than ramen and stale Lucky Charms cereal without any milk," Xavier said.

"True. I'll give you that," Tommy said as they headed down to the cafeteria.

The mornings were quiet without Kim being around, but Tommy adjusted to it by keeping up on his karate skills and working out in the newly renovated workout room.

He was awaiting word from Dr. Mercer's office anyday now about his possible acceptance into the internship program. Professor Easton has loaned him some great books on paleontology that has kept his afternoons and evenings pretty much full. He, Xavier, and Hayley try to make a night once a week to just hang out, watch movies, drink, whatever and keep their minds off their heavy workload.

Xavier was moving out at the end of the semester and Tommy still needed to figure out his living situation.

His Dad was still willing to help with living expenses, which helped Tommy out a great deal because he wasn't sure if he could handle a full-time job on top of the huge school load. In many ways, he felt completely lucky.

He sat at his computer, looking at it like it would start talking to him until an email notification came through.

'An email from Katherine Hillard'

Curious and reminiscent, Tommy opened the email.

_"Tommy,_

_I'm sorry I haven't written to you in forever. How's college going? I've taken a huge leap, pun intended, and decided to go to London to pursue ballet. My family keeps teasing me that I can't stand still, which is true, but I know someone else who is the same way. *wink* I think about you a lot and wonder sometimes if we made a mistake in calling it quits. I know that isn't fair to say to someone you loved but then I think about the freedom you and I have and know that it may not be for the best but it's welcomed. Don't be a stranger._

_With Love,_

_Kat"_

Tommy knew he had to reply right away with the feelings he was experiencing in his heart.

_"Kat,_

_I'm sorry, I should have written too. I've been so busy with my Doctorate studies in Paleontology. Yep, this guy's gonna be a Dino Doctor. I'm still trying to believe it myself. I send you so many good wishes with your ballet. You were always so good at it and mesmorizing to watch. I think about you a lot too, just wondering if it could have worked...but you're right, we both have a freedom that either would not have achieved if we were still in the same place. I'm not going to lie, leaving you was hard to deal with but I fully understand it now and I'm no longer angry about it. You deserve the best in life and you'll make that happen. I couldn't be more proud._

_Love,_

_Tommy"_

There was a knock at his dorm door just as he sent the email. Xavier was in class, so he was confused as to who it would be. He opened the door to see Hayley standing there, with a pizza box in her hands.

"Hey Roomie, hungry?" she asked.

Tommy looked completely confused as he moved to the side and watched her walk in.

"What? You've never seen pizza before? What is this California place like of yours? You guys don't have pizza?" she joked as she set it down on his desk. She reached into her backpack and took out a bottle of champagne and two cheap, plastic wine glasses and set those down on the desk as well.

"What is all of this?" Tommy asked.

"It's food and alcohol, nitwit," was all Hayley replied, as she pulled out plates and napkins from her backpack.

She cleared the small coffee table by the futon and started setting up their "dinner."

Tommy stood there dumbfounded as she continued setting up two place settings and grabbed the bottle of champagne.

"Here, you're strong, open this for me please," she said as she handed the bottle to Tommy.

He found his bottle opener that also functioned as a magnet on his mini fridge and carefully opened the bottle.

Hayley held out the two plastic wine glasses and motioned for Tommy to fill them. He set the bottle down as she handed him one of the filled glasses.

"Here's to your new roommate for next semester," she said as she held her glass out.

"What?" he asked, dumbfounded.

"Tommy, you're suppose to tap my glass and say 'cheers,'" she replied.

He reluctantly tapped her glass and barely murmured the word 'cheers' as she did with hers ratherly loudly and took a big sip.

"Ooh, that's what I get for buying the cheap shit," she replied as she shook her head quickly back and forth.

Tommy decided to take a drink as it was best not to waste it but was still very confused.

"I worked it out with your Dad and he's agreed to let us live in an apartment right next to campus next semester. We're going to be roommates, bestie!" she explained.

Tommy's eyes widened. He wasn't exactly ready to hear all of that worked out already but, in a way, was mostly relieved.

"Seriously?" he replied as he ended up finishing his glass.

"Geez, lush, slow down...yes, the rent is actually cheaper but we'll have to figure out our food situation but I think you and I can totally make it work," she said.

Tommy could feel her excitement scream out of every pore of hers and couldn't help but feel geniunely excited for them as well. He grabbed the bottle and poured himself another glass and topped off Hayley's as well.

"Ok, so we're moving then, I'd better start packing," he said, nonchalantly.

Hayley put her glass down quickly and hugged Tommy, which made him laugh.

"Thank you, Tommy. We're going to have a shit-ton of fun and still get work down, I promise," she replied.

Tommy promised Xavier a night of entertainment as they went to the local club for his last night in Massachusetts. They drank a little to get a nice buzz since they knew they would be banded as under-21ers once they got in there. 

"I'm gonna miss this. I'm gonna miss you guys," Xavier announced as they stood near the edge of the dance floor.

Chris and Aaron held their glasses of Mountain Dew up to their parting friend as Hayley grabbed Xavier's hand and dragged him onto the dance floor. Tommy watched as his two close friends laughed and danced around like idiots.

"Our group is slowly shrinking," Aaron said as they stood there.

"Yeah," Tommy replied, not sure of what else he could say.

"This isn't high school, Aaron. College is like a raging river with people coming and going," Chris said.

"So deep, my brother, and especially when in the background is that," Aaron said and pointed over to Hayley, who was fake humping Xavier and he was pretending to smack Hayley's ass.

Tommy shook his head in faux disappointment but in reality he held onto moments like this as his life had slowed down in ways that he could actually enjoy this. Deep inside, however, he did miss the need to help defend, the need to be a hero.

He was taken out of his moment of deep thought by someone pulling his wrist and saw Hayley pulling him out on the dance floor.

"No, I can't..." he started.

"Bullshit, come on out here. The water's just right," she said as she looked behind at him.

Tommy grimmaced and reluctantly walked out onto the dance floor. Hayley wrapped her arms around his waist and grinned.

"We're going to make those girls jealous. They've been staring at you since we got here," Hayley said through all of the noise.

"They have? I haven't even noticed," Tommy replied as he tried swaying to the beat.

He knew Hayley was almost 3 sheets to the wind as she held onto his waist, fumbling with waist band on his pants.

"If I wasn't totally digging on women, I'd probably be staring at you too," she said as they both moved to the song.

"Is that so?" Tommy replied, as a challenge.

"Yeah, there's nothing wrong with liking your best friend. It makes it easy since you're together almost all of the time," she answered back.

"You know I have never kissed a guy before, Thomas?" she announced.

Tommy knew where this was going and just shook his head in disagreement.

"Hayley..." he started saying.

"Don't worry, loverboy. I'm not looking for that. I'm drunk but I'm not into making my best friend very uncomfortable, at least not in that way," Hayley replied and added a wink.

Tommy drew a big sigh and felt his body relax a little as the one song ended and the DJ started up another one.

"I really got you there, didn't I?" Hayley said rather loudly.

Tommy smiled and then decided to wrap his arms around her waist.

"Let's make those girls jealous then," he announced.

Hayley shrieked a little as he lifted her up into the air and felt her hands smack his back as he held on while she flailed around.

"Thomas Oliver, put me down this instant!" she said between laughing.

He placed her down gently as she finished smacking his arm.

"Living with you is going to be a nightmare!" she exclaimed as he teased her.


	13. New Year, New Roommate, New Do...Not Necessarily In That Order

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hailey helps move her new roommate into their apartment and Tommy continues having pieces of his past come up to remind him of what his life used to be like.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for sticking with this lil' collegiate adventure of our Mr. Thomas Oliver. I appreciate all of the kudos and hits!

Tommy took one last glance at his now-empty dorm room with his rolling suitcase in his grasp.

"Say goodbye and tell it thank you," Hayley said as she carried a laundry basket filled with his stuff.

"Hayley wants me to say goodbye and thank you, so good bye and thank you," Tommy replied.

"Very funny. Let's go before I get a ticket for taking too much time in the entrance loop," Hayley said.

They packed the remaining items in Hayley's minivan.

"That's everything," she said and mockingly brushed her hands together as if cleaning them off.

"Here, let me get the door for you," Tommy joked as he ran to the driver's side door and opened it for her.

"Thank you sooo much, loverboy," Hayley joked as she courtsied. She then noticed Tommy was still standing there, holding the door. "Get in the van, loser."

"Yes ma'am," he replied as he giddly ran around the front of the van and jumped inside.

"I've never seen you this excited before. What drugs did you take?" Hayley remarked as they buckled up and she started to drive away from the dorms.

"No drugs, just excited to see where this all takes me. It's like being a Ranger again," Tommy answered.

"What was that like anyway?" Hayley asked.

"Exciting as hell. To have the power, it's indescribable. It's an energy constantly flowing through you that never runs out. It's knowing you're saving people that keeps your spirit high," he explained.

"Do you miss it?" she asked.

"Yes. At first, I didn't because I was mentally drained from everything. I tried stock car racing to keep my mind off of it but it always brought me back. I realized I needed to step away from it completely but now I miss the rush. I miss being a hero," he replied.

"So, you're ready to get back into it, aren't ya?" Hayley asked.

Tommy nodded and replied, "But not without someone's help."

"And let me guess, that someone is me," Hayley replied as she pulled into the nearby apartment complex that was theirs.

Tommy grinned as she pulled into a parking space in front of their apartment building's main entrance.

They walked in with the first load of his stuff in their hands and set stuff down inside near the front door of their apartment. Tommy walked around the apartment as Hayley went back outside to get another load.

It was a typical apartment, nothing fancy. Just two bedrooms in the back hallway, a shared bathroom, a narrow, hallway-like kitchen, small eating area and a larger living area. 

Hayley moved in the day before and took the back bedroom, which was larger but fair as this was her idea in the first place. Tommy saw that there was a nice courtyard right outside that he could practice his karate on nice days and a pool he could exercise in.

"You gonna help or what?" Hayley remarked as she brought another load in.

"I'm just taking the tour, making sure I have plenty of room. I have needs, you know," he replied, only realizing at the very end how weird that sounded.

Hayley couldn't help but start laughing hysterically.

"Needs, huh? If you bring any women here, at least bring a friend of theirs for me, alright?" she joked.

Tommy blushed and quickly headed out to the van, trying to ignore Hayley's loud laughing.

He felt a pat on his back as he reached in the back to grab some stuff.

"Need a hand?" a familiar voice said from behind.

Tommy quickly turned around to see the face of someone he hadn't seen in a while.

"Adam?!" Tommy declared in surprise.

"I had to see this for myself. Kat emailed me the other day and I called your parents...you're actually going to be a doctor?" Adam replied as he and Tommy hugged.

Hayley walked outside to see the two guys talking rather loudly and excitedly.

"What am I missing here?" she announced.

"Hayley, this is Adam. One of my friends and 'one of us,'" Tommy replied and put that last phrase in air quotes.

"You told her, eh?" Adam asked.

"He hasn't killed me yet, like he said he would since he said 'if I tell you, I must kill you," Hayley joked.

Tommy laughed as Hayley introduced herself to his former Ranger friend.

"So what have you been up to, bro?" Tommy asked.

"I'm stuck in Angel Grove, but for a good reason as I'm opening my own Dojo," Adam replied.

"That's awesome! Congratulations, man," Tommy said.

Adam was true to his word as he grabbed some stuff from the van and helped move in Tommy's stuff.

"By the way, how did you know I was here?" Tommy asked after the last load.

"Your Dad is very talkative," Adam replied.

Tommy rolled his eyes but knew that was 100% true. 

"Sorry everything is a mess but have a seat," Tommy said and grabbed a couple of bottled waters for him and Adam.

"I see college hasn't corrupted you yet...still extremely helpful and polite," Adam joked as he took a water after sitting down on the couch.

Tommy laughed as he sat down on the chair across from the couch.

Hayley stepped out from her room and sat down near Adam. 

"So Adam...tell me what this guy was like as the leader," Hayley asked as she pointed to Tommy.

"Well, do you have a couple of hours?" Adam joked. 

Tommy smiled as he watched Adam and his best friend interact with each other. It was odd how well his past and his present blended in as if there wasn't any time difference. What assured him was that Hayley was a very reliable partner-in-crime. Her ability to blend in and talk with anyone and everyone, as well as finding things in common was very positive.

After a couple of hours of catching up, which did not totally consist of describing Tommy's leadership skills, Adam announced he would be continuing his travels back to Angel Grove from visiting his family overseas.

"It was awesome to see you again. Let me know how your new Dojo goes," Tommy said after hugging his friend goodbye.

"Absolutely, and good luck with this doctor stuff. Crazy, Tommy...crazy," Adam replied. "Hayley, keep an eye on him. He tends to leap before he thinks."

Tommy feigned a look of shock but smiled right after as Hayley gave Adam a hug.

They watched Adam drive away and walked back into the apartment.

"Now put your shit out away," Hayley announced after closing the door.

"Yes, Captain!" Tommy said and saluted.

It took a couple of days for Tommy to finally feel situated in his new living situation, but it started to feel like home rather quickly. Once classes started, he felt at ease everyday with getting to campus and spending his nights studying or physical training. 

About a month later, Hayley mentioned to Tommy of a new coffeehouse which they would now quite frequent at.

"What's this Y2K stuff I keep hearing about?" Tommy asked Hayley at the coffeehouse.

"It's the end of the world," she replied.

Tommy glanced at her with a very curious look until Hayley started to laugh.

"I'm joking. No need to put on the spandex and save the world," Hayley replied.

"Wanna hear something that is earth shattering? I'm thinking about cutting my hair," Tommy said after he sipped his cappuccino.

"What? You're kidding," Hayley replied, astonished.

"Nope. If I want to really get my name out there in the Paleontology professional world, I gotta start looking the part," he replied, matter-of-factly.

"I hear you but I'm having a hard time picturing you with short hair," Hayley said.

She glanced down at her laptop and made an interesting face as she clicked a few keys.

"Billy replied back. He says my plans could work to harness the power of whatever morphing power is down there but I'm going to have a hard time getting the supplies needed. He said he might be able to procure some of the items as long as he can find a way to get them to us," she explained as she read from her screen.

"That's great. I might be able to convince Anton that this is the direction to go in. I have been able to get closer to a partnership with every day that I work with him," Tommy replied.

"Would you think about using it yourself?" Hayley asked.

Tommy looked around to make sure no one was too close that could hear them.

"You mean me jumping back into the Morphing Grid? I've thought about it," Tommy said.

Hayley's eyes lit up as she hit a few keys on her laptop. After a few seconds, she turned the laptop in Tommy's direction.

"Good, because this is the design I've been working on for your Morpher," she replied as she motioned for him to look at the screen.

"I like the black and gold," he declared with confidence.

"I borrowed it off of your watch. The one Kim gave you," Hayley replied.

Tommy smiled as he looked down at his watch and then back at the screen.

"Thanks, I appreciate that touch," he said as he finished his cappuccino.

"I knew you would. We wouldn't be best friends if I didn't," Hayley joked. "Hey, can I come with you when you get your haircut? I want to help usher in a new era, just in time for the new millenium."

Tommy laughed and nodded as he took one quick glance at Hayley's laptop. He noticed three primary color morphers of red, blue, and yellow. Everything was starting to come together and with Anton's help, they will be able to do so much for the world. Something that gave Tommy more hope than anything. He always hoped for once less fight.

"I wonder how Xavier is handling Washington, DC? Do you think he'll take over the White House?" Tommy asked.

"If you think I'm going to email a Goverment employee on my encripted network and possibly expose everything we've been working on, then you've officially lost it, Thomas," Hayley replied. 

"Shit, I've got to get to Paleoecology 305. See you back at the apartment," Tommy said as he grabbed his backpack.

"See you later, prehistoric gator," Hayley said.

"That's a deinosuchus, and that doesn't rhyme," he yelled as he left the cafe.

Hayley laughed as she turned her laptop around and started working on an essay that was due for one of computer science courses.

Tommy stepped into the lecture hall for his Paleoecology course and sat down towards the front. Professor Easton walked in a few minutes early and walked up to Tommy.

"Hello Tommy, when class is over, I'd like a few minutes of your time, if that is ok," she said.

"Absolutely," he replied.

When the professor started the class, Tommy couldn't get one picture out of his mind, him again as a Power Ranger. The thought of him being able to protect civilians again and make a difference had been creeping back into his mind.

Once class ended, he walked up to the desk near the podium where Professor Easton was organizing her papers.

"Give me a few minutes, Tommy. I'd like us to talk privately," she said quietly as a couple of students were walking up to the desk to ask the professor some questions. Tommy, curious, waited nearby until the other students left the lecture hall.

"So, Dr. Anton Mercer provided me with some feedback regarding your intership so far," Professor Easton stated.

Tommy felt his nerves kick in as he stood quietly and waited for the professor to continue.

"He said your enthusiasm and knowledge is just barely overshadowed by your curiosity. He told me about how you two are further examing the signatures on the Gogosem Islands," she continued.

"It's such an interesting find that we hope to discover it first and put it to good use," Tommy replied.

"I just want to express caution to you, Tommy. Anton's work, although very highly revered, has also been laced with controversy as he sometimes uses methods that the Paleontology world has otherwise frowned upon. If you decide to hire in, I want you to use your best judgement in case something doesn't seem quite right to you," Professor Easton cautioned.

"Of course. I have no doubt that the work that Anton and our team is working on will turn heads," Tommy replied.

"Talking like you're already hired...I definitely appreciate your dedication and passion. I'll miss it when you graduate," Professor Easton replied.

Tommy confidently shook the professor's hand before leaving the lecture hall. He headed towards the apartments with a little bit more confidence in the direction he was headed in, both figurative and actual as he reached his apartment building's entrance. He stepped inside he and Hayley's cozy, but cheap apartment and heard music playing from Hayley's bedroom.

"Is that Dr. Dinosaur Dude?" Hayley yelled from her room.

"In the flesh," Tommy replied, taking his shoes off by the door and headed into the kitchen to grab something to drink.

"I hope you don't mind, I ordered pizza. We need to grocery shop but I don't feel like it," Hayley yelled.

"Our neighbors probably hate us," Tommy remarked as he grabbed an apple juice bottle from the fridge.

"What?!" Hayley yelled even louder.

"Nevermind!" Tommy yelled back as he sat down on the couch in the main room and turned on the television. He heard Hayley's music turn down and footsteps as he turned his head to watch Hayley walk into the kitchen.

"You changed your hair color," Tommy noted as he watched her. "I like the red."

"Thank you, you're very observant. It's my natural color but I used to really hate it," Hayley replied. 

"It matches the fire in your soul," he joked.

"Wow, do you think I would go to jail for punching my roommate?" Hayley said as grabbed a juice out of the fridge.

"Not if he blocks it first," he replied with a wink.


End file.
